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67 killed in Central Visayas as powerful quake hits Bohol – Civil Defense
(Updated 7:09 p.m.) The number of fatalities in the powerful earthquake that struck Bohol on Tuesday at 8:12 a.m. has risen to 67 for the whole of Central Visayas, according to the Office of Civil Defense - Region VII.
Citing numbers provided by the Police Regional Office 7, OCD Regional Director Dr. Minda Morante also said that 167 injuries have also been recorded region-wide.
In its 6 p.m. briefing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported the same number of fatalities. According to NDRRMC spokesperson Maj. Rey Balido, 57 of the fatalities came from Bohol, nine from Cebu (including five in Cebu City and two in Mandaue City) and one from Siquijor.
A report by Agence France-Presse put the number of dead throughout the region at 73.
Some of the country's most hallowed churches also collapsed, and strong tremors were felt in Cebu, where hospital patients were seen on television being wheeled out to the streets still attached to tubes.
Earlier reports
In an earlier press conference aired on GMA News TV's Balitanghali, NDRRMC spokesman Maj. Rey Balido said as of 12 noon, 20 people died—15 from Cebu, four from Bohol, and one from Siquijor—after the earthquake hit the populous Central Visayas region.
He said at least 33 people were reported injured, including 19 from Mandaue City, six from Toledo City, and eight from Pinamungahan town.
A report by Agence France-Presse (AFP) later in the day quoted Balido as saying at least 32 people died.
Archbishop Leonardo Medroso of Bohol told GMA News that Loon's historic church was nearly completely destroyed, trapping some people in the rubble. Some of Bohol's churches date back to the 17th century.
The Philippines' oldest church, Cebu's Basilica Minore del Santo Nino (or Sto. Niño Church), was badly damaged, according to Balido as reported by AFP.
It was first built in the 1500s by Spanish colonizers, although its current stone structure dates back to the 1700s.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts called on the public to stay away from the damaged churches for their safety, and also to minimize damage to the structures.
Balido said the following buildings were also partially or totally damaged in the quake:
Details of the quake
Since the quake's epicenter was on land, Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said there was no danger of a tsunami. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii likewise said there was no threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami after the quake.
Citing numbers provided by the Police Regional Office 7, OCD Regional Director Dr. Minda Morante also said that 167 injuries have also been recorded region-wide.
In its 6 p.m. briefing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported the same number of fatalities. According to NDRRMC spokesperson Maj. Rey Balido, 57 of the fatalities came from Bohol, nine from Cebu (including five in Cebu City and two in Mandaue City) and one from Siquijor.
A report by Agence France-Presse put the number of dead throughout the region at 73.
Some of the country's most hallowed churches also collapsed, and strong tremors were felt in Cebu, where hospital patients were seen on television being wheeled out to the streets still attached to tubes.
Earlier reports
In an earlier press conference aired on GMA News TV's Balitanghali, NDRRMC spokesman Maj. Rey Balido said as of 12 noon, 20 people died—15 from Cebu, four from Bohol, and one from Siquijor—after the earthquake hit the populous Central Visayas region.
He said at least 33 people were reported injured, including 19 from Mandaue City, six from Toledo City, and eight from Pinamungahan town.
A report by Agence France-Presse (AFP) later in the day quoted Balido as saying at least 32 people died.
Initial reports identified the fatalities from Cebu as Jury Gasul and Nida Abaya, both stall owners at the meat section of Mandaue Public Market.
A report on GMA News TV said the two died on the spot when they were pinned down by a part of the market that collapsed. Seventeen other people were injured in the incident. They were brought to the Mandaue City District Hospital for treatment.
"Kasalukuyang nakakordon ang public market. Walang pinapapasok kasi nga may nakikita tayong bitak-bitak. May malalaking sira na," GMA Cebu's Mark Bautista reported on News to Go.
"Kasalukuyang nakakordon ang public market. Walang pinapapasok kasi nga may nakikita tayong bitak-bitak. May malalaking sira na," GMA Cebu's Mark Bautista reported on News to Go.
Meanwhile, an unidentified child was killed in a stampede in Cebu when people lining up to receive their allowance from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program panicked, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman said in a television interview.
Two other people were crushed to death in the same stampede, according to the the provincial disaster council chief, Neil Sanchez, in an AFP report.
Two other people were crushed to death in the same stampede, according to the the provincial disaster council chief, Neil Sanchez, in an AFP report.
"There was panic when the quake happened and there was a rush toward the exit," Sanchez told AFP.
He said two other people were killed when part of a school collapsed on a car they had parked in.
The other people injured in the stampede were brought to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
In a text message to reporters on Tuesday, Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said "all national agencies concerned have been ordered into action and told to coordinate with local disaster and relief agencies."
Damaged historical churches and buildings
In a text message to reporters on Tuesday, Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said "all national agencies concerned have been ordered into action and told to coordinate with local disaster and relief agencies."
Damaged historical churches and buildings
According to GMA News stringer Leo Udtohan's report on News To Go, Baclayon Church was partially damaged, while its bell tower totally collapsed. No one was hurt from the incident, it added.
The report noted that Dauis and Loboc churches in Bohol were also partially damaged, while Loon Church was heavily damaged.
The front section of the historical Loboc Church in Bohol collapsed following a magnitude-7.2 earthquake that struck the Visayas region early Tuesday, October 15. Robert Michael Poole via Twitter
The Philippines' oldest church, Cebu's Basilica Minore del Santo Nino (or Sto. Niño Church), was badly damaged, according to Balido as reported by AFP.
It was first built in the 1500s by Spanish colonizers, although its current stone structure dates back to the 1700s.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts called on the public to stay away from the damaged churches for their safety, and also to minimize damage to the structures.
Balido said the following buildings were also partially or totally damaged in the quake:
- Tagbilaran City Port Terminal
- Cebu City Hall
- DSWD Region 7 building
- some DOTC terminal buldings in Tagbilaran
- DOTC administration office in Iloilo airport
- a structure in Barangay Mabaling in Cebu City
- a portion of Ayala Center Cebu
- Cebu Doctors' University
- GMC building near Plaza Independencia in Cebu City
Details of the quake
Since the quake's epicenter was on land, Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said there was no danger of a tsunami. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii likewise said there was no threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami after the quake.
"Itong magnitude 7.2 malakas ito. Posibleng magdulot ng kasiraan," Solidum said in an interview on dzBB radio, adding that aftershocks had weakened but damaged buildings pose a danger to residents.
The quake struck at 8:12 a.m. at a depth of about 35 km (22 miles) on Bohol island.
Meanwhile, Balido said that power was cut off in Bohol province, Mandaue City in Cebu, Iloilo province, Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, and some areas in Region 11.
Meanwhile, Balido said that power was cut off in Bohol province, Mandaue City in Cebu, Iloilo province, Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, and some areas in Region 11.
Joey Tan, a resident of Barangay Mabolo in Cebu City, told GMA News Online they felt the earthquake in the area, and power went out.
"Pwerting linug diri karon, dugay nahuman (Ang lakas ng lindol, matagal natapos)," he said. "Wa na mi kuryente (Nawalan kami ng kuryente)."
"I was fast sleep when suddenly I woke up because my bed was shaking. I was so shocked, I could do nothing but hide under the bed," Janet Maribao, 33, a receptionist in Cebu, told Agence France-Presse.
Reports from Bohol
"Medyo panicky ang mga tao sa possibility of a tsunami. But we are explaining to people... dahil island ang probinsya, maraming islands around it, the vulnerability sa tsunami is not very high," he said.
"I was fast sleep when suddenly I woke up because my bed was shaking. I was so shocked, I could do nothing but hide under the bed," Janet Maribao, 33, a receptionist in Cebu, told Agence France-Presse.
Reports from Bohol
In a phone-patch interview on GMA News TV's News To Go, Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto said they are still determining the damage and casualties in the wake of continuing aftershocks.
He also assured residents that the government is monitoring the eastern part of Bohol "dahil nandoon ang pinakamalaking body of water, 'yung Mindanao Sea."
"Ito 'yung area na medyo vulnerable pero hindi naman masyadong malalaki ang mga tsunami from the past. But 'yung water, mag-i-increase higher than 10 meters of sea level, nagpapa-alert kami sa mga tao, pero sa ngayon, wala pa namang ikatatakot. But take precautions because of aftershocks," he explained.
In a later update, Chatto said that at least 16 people had died in Bohol and more than 100 others were injured, while one person was confirmed killed on the neighboring island of Siquijor, AFP reported.
In a later update, Chatto said that at least 16 people had died in Bohol and more than 100 others were injured, while one person was confirmed killed on the neighboring island of Siquijor, AFP reported.
Balido and others involved in the relief and rescue operations warned the death toll would climb, with the full extent of the damage yet to be assessed.
Nevertheless, they expressed relief the earthquake occurred on a public holiday, meaning there were fewer people than normal in many of the major buildings that suffered damage.
Meanwhile, he said they are still assessing the situation of old churches in the province.
"'Yung mga report na lumang simbahan na tinamaan, iyon ang top of the list sa damage report na initial pa lang na pinadala sa disaster management council sa headquarters ngayon sa Tagbilaran," he said. "Kasi 'yung old churches ay kasama sa mga preserved areas."
One of the Bohol's main tourist venues, the Chocolate Hills Complex, was severely damaged and may be beyond repair, according to Delapan Ingleterra, head of a local tourist police unit.
"There are huge cracks in the hotel and there was a collapse of the view deck on the second floor," he told AFP. However he said no one was injured there.
Damage in Cebu, Iloilo
In a separate phone patch interview also on News To Go, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said he has already requested for the province to be declared under a state of calamity.
He noted that he received reports that the Sto. Niño Church in Cebu City was heavily damaged by the earthquake.
"Hindi ko lang alam which part [of the church]," he said. "I am still confirming it."
In Cebu, dzBB's Bobby Nalzaro reported the local affiliate dySS was briefly knocked off the air. Many station employees went to the parking lot.
Nalzaro cited information that at least two buildings in the province collapsed. He also reported at least nine aftershocks as of 8:38 a.m.
GMA News correspondent Fleire Castro in Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, reported that as of 9:26 a.m., the city was out of power and had suffered multiple aftershocks. No damage was reported, but helicopters were sighted overhead surveying the area.
GMA News correspondent Fleire Castro in Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, reported that as of 9:26 a.m., the city was out of power and had suffered multiple aftershocks. No damage was reported, but helicopters were sighted overhead surveying the area.
In Iloilo, dzBB's Melinda Catahay reported the quake was felt in Iloilo, prompting motorists to stop vehicles and many people to run out of buildings.
A brownout hit Iloilo City after the quake, she added.
Construction workers at a construction site in Mandurriao in Iloilo quickly left the site when they felt the quake.
Classes suspended
Classes in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental province and in Cebu City were suspended Wednesday to allow an inspection of the schools there.
"The DepEd division Dumaguete announces the suspension of classes tomorrow to check all school buildings due to the earthquake," it said. —With reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Amanda Fernandez, Amita Legaspi and Kimberly Jane Tan/KG/TJD/HS/BM, GMA News
