Quake-hit Ilocos Sur orders forced evacuation of coastal area residents

LAOAG CITY—The provincial government of Ilocos Sur has ordered the forced evacuation of all residents living in the coastal barangays after the 7.0-magnitude quake that struck Luzon on Wednesday (July 27) morning.

In an announcement, the Ilocos Sur government said it issued the directive after consulting with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Councilor Janina Fariñas of the capital city of Vigan urged coastal residents in the area to evacuate as a precautionary measure after the powerful quake.

“No formal tsunami alerts are raised yet, but it’s best to be safe,” she said in a Facebook post. INQ

lzb