VALENCIA CITY (MindaNews/04 September) – A
total of 144 houses and other structures were damaged in one of the aftershocks of the quake that hit Bukidnon province early Tuesday morning, an official said.
A nun was also injured in a relative’s house in Barangay Lourdes, this city when its concrete wall collapsed hitting her legs and arms, Capt. Alejandro Larosa, executive officer of the Valencia City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council told MindaNews.
Sister Angelina Comabig, 34, is now being treated in a local hospital, he said.
Larosa cited that 98 of the 144 damaged houses and structures were in Barangay Guinoyoran.
In Lourdes, the tremor destroyed three classrooms of the elementary school and the local Catholic and Baptist churches.
The barangay council of Lourdes reported that only one house was totally damaged while 20 others were partially damaged in the area.
It added cracks were observed on the barangay’s administration building.
Aside from Guinoyoran and Lourdes, only barangays Lilingayon, Tugaya and Mt.Nebo had submitted damage reports on the 5.8-magnitude quake as of this morning, Larosa said.
Valencia City has 31 barangays.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported five tremors from 3:4
4 to 3:52 a.m. with the strongest recorded in Bukidnon – Intensity 5 in Maramag town, Intensity 4 in Valencia and Intensity 3 in Malaybalay City.
Larosa quoted Phivolcs as saying the quakes were tectonic in origin.
He said they will go to Tandakol, a village between Lilingayon and Mt. Nebo, to confirm reports that a portion of a hill reportedly cracked and residents were trapped.
The official added a team from the Provincial DRRMC went ahead to Tandakol, but his staff said that the road to the area was impassable as of 6:48am.
Malaybalay City Mayor Ignacio W. Zubiri told MindaNews that as of 7:45am he had received no reports of casualties and damage due to the quake, which is the second to hit Bukidnon in five days. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)
