No deaths in condo collapse in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines — No occupants were trapped nor killed under the rubble of the collapsed Himeji Building of Ecoland 4000 Residences in Davao City.

This was the announcement of Mayor Sara Duterte on Saturday based on the findings of the search and rescue operations which was concluded on Thursday evening.

Duterte said that nine of the 20 persons evacuated from the damaged building were injured.

Nobody died and there were no missing individuals in the colllapse, Duterte said in a statement.

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake on Thursday caused the collapse of the Himeji Building, which already sustained visible damage during the Oct. 29 magnitude 6.6 earthquake.

Meanwhile, a person was reportedly arrested for violating a “lawful order” during search-and-rescue operations in the collapsed building. The context and details of the arrest, however, were still unclear as of this writing.

“At least one person was arrested for disobedience to a lawful order in relation to the operations at Ecoland 4000,” Duterte said.

Apart from the Ecoland 4000 Residences, another condominium was declared condemned by city government on Friday after being heavily damaged by the series of earthquakes.

“The Palmetto Place Davao in Barangay Maa was also condemned after the earthquake left cracks on walls, beams, channels, and posts of the Buildings 2 and 3 of the said complex,” Duterte said.

She added that occupants of Palmetto Place voluntarily vacated their units after being given notice by the city building official.

Residents of Juario Village in Maa were also advised to evacuate immediately due to threats of imminent landslide after it was declared as a danger zone based on a joint government assessment.

According to Duterte, Davao City Engineers Office and the Department of Public Works and Highways have inspected all public roads and bridges and declared them safe.

Duterte also reminded school authorities to use the extended class suspension on Monday to “thoroughly inspect school buildings, review earthquake action plan and disaster manual to ensure the safety of the students and employees.”

“It is also expected of school authorities to conduct earthquake and fire drills at least once a month and to provide students with experts who can discuss with them stress, trauma, and anxiety,” Duterte said.

/atm