A security guard stares at the glass door of the local bank on Real Street that was shattered during the magnitude 5.1 earthquake on Wednesday morning. – Robert Dejon, Inquirer Visayas
ORMOC CITY – Two women died while at least fifty-six houses were damaged on Wednesday morning when a strong earthquake hit this city anew, just less than two months after it was struck by a magnitude 6.9 tremor.
Supt. Elma delos Santos, Ormoc police deputy director for operations, identified the fatalities as Maria Colasito, 51, of Barangay Naungan and Rosita Baloro, 70, from Barangay San Jose.
When the earthquake shook at 6:23 a.m., Colasito ran outside her house but she slipped and hit her head on the pavement.
She died at the hospital, said Delos Santos.
The police officer said Baloro suffered a heart attack inside their house during the earthquake. She died upon reaching the hospital.
At least fifty-six houses were also damaged in Barangay Alta Vista, according to village chairwoman Myrna Mangle.
Patients and medical personnel stay outside the building when another strong earthquake hit Ormoc City, Leyte on Wednesday morning. Robert Dejon, Inquirer Visayas
The earthquake was recorded at magnitude 5.1 with the epicenter located in nearby Albuera town, Leyte. It was tectonic in origin.
The tremor was felt at Intensity 5 in Ormoc and Intensity 3 in Tacloban City and Palo town, also in Leyte.
The glass door of a local bank along Real Street in Ormoc City was shattered as well as the glass wall on the building’s second floor.
The city government also suspended classes at all levels to allow engineers to check if the quake damaged the school buildings.
Patients of the Ormoc Doctors Hospital and OSPA-Farmers Medical Center were brought outside the buildings during the earthquake.
A nurse at Ormoc Doctors’ Hospital told Inquirer that it is their practice to bring their patients outside the building during an earthquake.
As of press time no other casualty was reported. With a report from Vicky C. Arnaiz