7 confirmed dead in Davao Oriental quake

People gather at an open space outside a mall after a 6.9-magnitude quake struck past 7 p.m. on Friday. —PHOTO BY JOSELLE BADILLA

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Death toll of the Davao Oriental 7.4-magnitude quake has climbed up to seven, with three more people confirmed dead in the mining village of Pantukan town of Davao de Oro.

Joseph Randy Loy, chief of the Davao de Oro provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, said three persons died in the mining village of Gumayan, a sitio (subvillage) of Kingking village of Pantukan town, while 10 others were injured when the area where they were standing was hit by landslide. He clarified that those affected were not inside the mining tunnel but outside.

READ: Magnitude 6.8 earthquake jolts Davao Oriental anew

Davao de Oro Governor Raul Mabanglo has ordered a temporary closure of all mining sites in the province following the Gumayan landslide as a result of the quake.

Aside from the three persons who died in the mining site, three more deaths were reported in Manay town of Davao Oriental, including that of the 64-year old woman hit by a crumbling wall; and the death of the 80-year old man in Davao City, said Ednar Dayanghirang, OCD 11 regional director.

Dayanghirang said he had to check again the death in Lupon town of Davao Oriental, first reported only an hour after the quake.

An aerial survey in the earthquake-hit area showed one house totally damaged in Manay town and 20 houses totally damaged in the neighboring Tarragona town, according to Dayanghirang. /cb