No railway, airport damage after magnitude 5.9 quake

MANILA, Philippines —  No damage was reported in various major railways and airports on Tuesday after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake jolted Occidental Mindoro and other parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

The operations of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2  (LRT-1 and LRT-2) and the Philippine National Railways (PNR), however,  were briefly suspended.

“Pansamantalang itinigil ang operasyon ng LRT-2 dahil sa nangyaring lindol ngayong hapon,” an LRT-2 advisory read.

(The operation of LRT-2 has been temporarily halted due to the earthquake that occurred this afternoon.)

 “Patuloy ang safety inspection sa mga pasilidad sa linya upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng lahat ng kawani at mga pasahero,” it added.

(Safety inspections of facilities along the line are ongoing to ensure the safety of all employees and passengers.)

After concluding visual inspections, all three railway operators  reported that no damage due to the earthquake.

 MRT-3 resumed its operations at 5 p.m., followed  by LRT-2 at 5:05 p.m. then LRT-1 at 5:21 p.m.

Engineers in the PNR, on the other hand, are still currently inspecting rails and bridges from its Malabon station to Alabang.

 Airports

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said that its engineering and operations teams immediately conducted an immediate inspection on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (Naia) airside and terminal facilities after the earthquake.

“No damage was observed on the runway and taxiway pavements and terminal facilities. The MIAA does not expect any significant effect [on] flight operations,” the MIAA said in a statement.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines in an advisory also reported that the following airports did not sustain damage:

• San Jose Airport
• Romblon Airport
• Sangley Airport
• Marinduque Airport
• Calapan Airport
• Pinamalayan Airport
• Lubang Airport
• Mamburao Airport

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