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Quake-hit North Cotabato town placed under state of calamity


A North Cotabato town hit by two magnitude-5.7 quakes last Saturday and Monday has been placed under state of calamity.

Office of Civil Defense Region 12 operations chief Roy Durado said this will let them assess the damage and rehabilitate damaged structures quickly, radio dzBB reported.

Durado said their first task is to conduct an inventory of houses and buildings affected by the quake.

A separate report on state-run Philippines News Agency said the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council approved the OCD's recommendation to place Carmen and 28 of its villages under a state of calamity.

Durado said they have initially assessed the damage to property at P63 million, but added the figure may go up as they continue their assessment.

A report on GMA News' "24 Oras" Monday night said school opening didn't push through in the affected areas.

Carmen sustained damage from a magnitude-5.7 quake that hit North Cotabato last Saturday night. Several aftershocks followed the quake.

Another magnitude-5.7 quake hit the area before dawn Monday.

Of the 28 villages in Carmen, Kimadzil and Kibudtungan appeared to be the hardest hit, with more than 140 houses reportedly damaged or destroyed, according to the PNA report.

Local public works engineers are now watching two bridges found to have cracks and had curved about six inches down.

Meanwhile, Governor Emmylou Mendoza said public engineers are checking bridges in Sayre highway, which connects North Cotabato to Bukidnon. — KBK, GMA News

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