NDRRMC reports significant structural damage, casualties as red status raised over Davao Region
MANILA, Philippines (Update 1 1:02 p.m.) — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in a bulletin issued Monday morning confirmed numerous casualties along with significant structural damage in the wake of the magnitude 6.9 quake that shook southern Mindanao on Sunday.
Christopher Tan of the Davao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said two people were confirmed dead while at least four were still trapped and have yet to be rescued from the rubble of the Southern Trade Shopping Center, which the NDRRMC listed as "totally damaged," in Padada town. This raises the death toll to at least three, which includes a six-year-old who was reportedly killed in the town of Matanao.
"There's a very slim chance of survivors in the building," he told CNN Philippines in a phone call.
A later report from the NDRRMC said that 23 trapped victims were rescued from the store.
The NDRRMC also reported 31 injured persons in Davao Region alone, as verification efforts from the local arms of the Departments of Health and Interior and Local Government were still ongoing.
This, as Davao Region's Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council raised its alert status from blue to red. A blue alert means half of disaster officials are on standby to ensure enough manpower in case of an emergency while a red alert status indicates that all disaster officials in the region are required to report to their headquarters 24/7.
Soccsksargen and BARMM have been listed under white status by their respective RDRRMC. White status refers to regular or normal operations, monitoring and reporting.
The Philippine National Police unit in Soccsksargen, though, has also activated two search, rescue and retrieval units for possible deployment.
Damaged structures
Along with the shopping center, the Municipal Police Station and the Maria Cleta National High School in Padada were also partially damaged in the earthquake.
The following structures were reported to have total or partial damage according to the NDRRMC bulletin:
Davao Region:
- Maria Cleta National HS (Padada), partially damaged
- Gaisano Mall of Digos (Padada), partially damaged
- Brgy. Poblacion Hall (Matanao), partially damaged
- Kiblawan Municipal Police Station, partially damaged
- Nadilla Elementary School (Kiblawan), partially damaged
- Magsaysay Municipal Hall, totally damaged
- Hagonoy Municipal Hall, partially damaged
- Sangguniang Bayan Building (Hagonoy), partially damaged
- Hagonoy National High School, partially damaged
- Viacrusis Hospital (Bansalan), partially damaged
- Sangguniang Panlalawigan Building (Digos City), partially damaged
- ICT Building (Digos City), partially damaged
- Davao Doctors Hospital (Davao City), partially damaged
Soccsksargen:
- Kityan Daku Evangelical Church, totally damaged
- PAMANA Project Multipurpose Building (M'lang), partially damaged
- Malandang Public Market Multi-purpose Building, totally damaged
- Talus Elementary School Mini-gymnasium (Malandang), partially damaged
As of 5 a.m. on Monday, the bulletin said that a total of 315 houses in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur were listed as "partially damaged" due to the earthquake.
A total of 12 municipalities in Davao Region and Soccsksargen also experienced power outages as a result of the earthquake. Eleven of them have already restored power, with Padada being the only exception.
The council also reported that as per the Padada Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, six people were rescued after being trapped under a separate three-story building that collapsed.
The NDRRMC said that aftershocks were still to be expected, after a total of 457 were recorded since the initial quake.
Despite this, the Department of Public Works and Highways has issued an advisory that all road networks and bridges are passable.
Editor's Note: An initial version of this story reported the death toll at seven instead of three, citing a media interview with a local disaster official. We have corrected the error.
- Latest
- Trending
