Visayas quake damages P133M worth of infrastructure–NDRRMC

A resident starts fixing his damaged house two days after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit their town in General Macarthur, eastern Samar province, in the central Philippines on September 2, 2012. AFP/TED ALJIBE

MANILA, Philippines — The magnitude 7.6 earthquake off Visayas last Friday has left about P133.6 million worth of damages to public infrastructure, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Wednesday.

In Eastern Samar, damages recorded were at least P25 million, in Northern Samar at P45 million and in Tacloban City at P62 million.

There were also 239 houses damaged, 82 of which were completely destroyed.

The quake, which shook Eastern Samar Friday night and was felt in several parts of Visayas region, also claimed one fatality and left 10 injured.

Aftershocks were still felt in areas hit by the earthquake. There were 525 recorded in Eastern Visayas Friday; 68 aftershocks from Monday’s 5.9 magnitude quake in Sultan Kudarat and 320 aftershocks from Tuesday’s quake off Bukidnon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The aftershocks could last up to a month, it also said.