Casualties, patients settle in town plaza, covered court as Batanes quake damages hospital

The Itbayat Church sustains damage after Batanes was hit by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake before dawn Saturday. (Photos by Dominic De Sagon Asa)

MANILA, Philippines — Patients of the Itbayat District Hospital were immediately evacuated to the town plaza while the casualties were brought to the covered court following the series of earthquakes that struck Batanes on Saturday morning.

Itbayat Vice Mayor Ronald Gutierrez said the hospital was deemed unsafe to accommodate people, more so patients, due to “cracks on all sides” of the building.

The vice mayor added that responders and medical personnel did not risk entering the hospital building to keep them safe in case aftershocks occur and bring further damage to the establishment.

“Hindi pa namin napapasok sa loob kasi nakakatakot pasukin pero kita sa labas na halos all sides may crack,” Gutierrez told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.

Gutierrez added the patients were brought to tents temporarily set-up at an open space while the casualties recovering from a collapsed building were brought to the town covered court.

“Yung hospital namin ay hindi na safe kaya sa open— naglagay kami ng tents para sa mga pasyente at may covered court din na doon nilagay ang mga casualty,” the vice mayor said.

The government is appealing for help including food and medical supplies.

“Tumawag na si mayor na may parating na medical team from AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) pero hanggang ngayon wala pa eh. Kailangang-kailangan na po yung pagkain at medical supply,” Gutierrez said.

A magnitude 5.4 hit the town at 4:16 a.m. and was followed by a stronger 5.9-magnitude quake at 7:37 a.m. /jpv

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