Aftershocks stir fear among Masbate folk after magnitude 6 quake

VIGILANCE Emergency responders and disaster response officials assess the structural integrity of buildings and other structures in Masbate City on Friday following the magnitude 6 earthquake that struck Masbate province on Thursday. —PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MASBATE CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OFFICE

LEGAZPI CITY—Some residents in Masbate City fearing for their safety opted to spend the night near doorways following a series of aftershocks in the aftermath of the magnitude 6 earthquake that hit Masbate province at dawn on Thursday.

Carmel Isturis, 43, of Ibingay village in Masbate City, said her family and neighbors found it safer to stay close to opened doorways for easy escape in case they would be hit by a stronger temblor.

“We can’t sleep well because we need to be alert,” Isturis said in a phone interview on Friday.

Isturis and her neighbors had already prepared their “go bags,” which were filled with water, food and other basic necessities.

“We hardly slept last night because every sway would wake you up. We’re scared to go back to sleep,” said another Ibingay resident, Martezza Ezra Atacador, 33, who has also readied bags of personal belongings and has stashed inside her vehicle important documents for easy escape in the event of a powerful aftershock.

Atacador said her family’s four-story apartment had minor cracks on the wall after Thursday’s temblor.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded the magnitude 6 earthquake at 2:10 a.m., with the epicenter 10 kilometers southwest of Batuan town.

Masbate City was the hardest hit by the quake, where it was felt at Intensity 7. In a report, Phivolcs said an Intensity 7 earthquake is considered so destructive that people would find it difficult to stand on the upper floors, and trees are shaken strongly.

Be prepared

On Thursday, Phivolcs recorded 135 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1.5 to 4.2 in Masbate province, adding more aftershocks were expected in the coming days.

The aftershocks were stronger since early Friday until around 10 a.m., ranging from magnitude 3 to 4.8, according to Adonis Dilao, chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

All the local governments were advised to prepare temporary evacuation centers in open spaces that could house other residents who were afraid to stay inside their homes, said Dilao.

“During earthquakes, we prefer using tents in open areas because we cannot guarantee the structural integrity of the buildings now,” he added.

Gremil Alexis Naz, spokesperson for the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol region, said in a report on Friday that two houses were destroyed and 59 others were damaged by the quake in Masbate’s towns of Batuan, San Fernando and Palanas.

Minor damage was also reported in 15 schools in the towns of Uson and Batuan and in several commercial and government buildings in Masbate City and Batuan.

Dilao said occupants in 11 commercial establishments in Masbate City were advised to temporarily vacate their areas due to minor wall cracks seen in the buildings.

Masbate City Mayor Socrates Tuason said work in government offices in the city was still suspended on Friday, except for agencies involved in the delivery of basic services, while inspection continued on vital facilities in the city, the government and economic center of the province.

Gov. Antonio Kho also ordered the suspension of classes at all levels in public and private schools in the province.

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