DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 October) – An 80-year-old man died after being pinned by a concrete wall in Davao City, following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that jolted several parts of Mindanao and the Visayas at 9:43 a.m. on Friday, an official of the Davao City Police Office said.
In a report, Capt. Hazel Caballero Tuazon, Davao City Police Office spokesperson, identified the victim as Sotero Cabil dela Cruz, a male resident of 95-4 Bangoy Street, Purok 3, Barangay Agdao, this city.
Tuazon said the remaining concrete wall of an old structure in Purok 3, Soliman, Brgy. Tomas Monteverde collapsed on dela Cruz, hitting him at the exact spot where he was seated when the powerful quake happened.
She said responders brought the victim to Southern Philippines Medical Center, but he was declared dead on arrival. His remains were brought to Rivera Funeral Homes.
In a press release, the City Information Office said the City Social Welfare and Development Office has already reached out to the victim’s family to provide the necessary assistance.
Responders from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office–Central 911 attended to a total of 347 individuals who either fainted or sustained minor injuries during the earthquake, it stated.
According to the CIO, all patients have received proper medical attention and are now in stable condition.
Local authorities confirmed that no active tsunami warning has been issued for Davao City following the recent earthquake. At 1:43 p.m., the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) cancelled the tsunami warning for all coastal communities in the provinces of Davao Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao Del Sur, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Eastern Samar.
During structural assessments, personnel from the City Engineer’s Office Department of Public Works and Highways found no structural damage on Bankerohan Bridge, Bolton Bridge, Davao River Bridge, and San Rafael Bridge in the city.
All four bridges have been declared safe for vehicular traffic, it said.
According to PHIVOLCS, the epicenter of the earthquake was located 48 kilometers northeast of Manay, Davao Oriental, at a depth of 23 kilometers.
Varying intensities and instrumental intensities were felt across the Visayas and Mindanao.
The tremor was at Intensity 5 in Davao City and Intensity 4 in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur.
An Instrumental intensity 5 was felt in Hinunangan, Southern Leyte; Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental; Nabunturan, Davao de Oro; Davao City; Santa Maria, Davao Occidental; Kidapawan City, Cotabato province; Alabel and Malungon, Sarangani; Koronadal City and Tupi, South Cotabato.
Meanwhile, instrumental intensity 4 was felt in Cebu City; Sulat, Eastern Samar; Abuyog, Alangalang, Dulag, and Hilongos, Leyte; Hinundayan, Silago, and Sogod, Southern Leyte;; Kalilangan, Malaybalay City, and San Fernando, Bukidnon; Cagayan de Oro City; Digos City, Magsaysay, and Matanao, Davao del Sur; M’lang, and Magpet, Cotabato; Glan, Kiamba, Maitum, and Malapatan, Sarangani; Banga, Polomolok, and Tampakan, South Cotabato; General Santos City; Columbio, and Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat; Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte; Surigao City, Surigao del Norte; Bislig City, Surigao del Sur. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
