Death toll in Surigao del Norte quake climbs to 8

The number of fatalities from the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck Surigao del Norte last week has climbed to eight.

Surigao del Norte Vice Governor Arturo Carlos Egay Jr. said the two additional fatalities died of severe wounds in a hospital in Davao City.

The identities of the two victims were not available as of this posting.

The six fatalities earlier identified by the Caraga Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office were:

• Lorenzo Deguino, 86, from Brgy. Poctoy
• JM Ariar, 4, from  Sitio Aton, Brgy. Ipil
• Wilson Lito, 35, from Brgy. Nonoc
• Justina Roda, 83, from Brgy. Bonifacio
• Grobert Eludo, 40, Brgy. Bilabid
• Wenefreda Bernal, 66 from Brgy. Honrado in San Francisco town

More than 200 people have been reported injured and brought to various hospitals in Surigao del Norte and nearby provinces.

Egay, meanwhile, said search and rescue operations in quake-hit areas in the province have been halted because all residents have been accounted for.

Authorities have shifted to rehabilitation and assessment of the damaged infrastructures in Surigao del Norte.

The vice governor said that except for the Anao-aon Bridge in San Francisco town, all bridges damaged by the quake are already passable.

He also said that relief operations are ongoing.

Water and power supply in several areas in the province, including the capital city of Surigao, were affected by the earthquake.

In a report earlier, the Surigao City government said that more than 1,400 houses were damaged by the quake.

The report added that power has been partially restored in the city and water supply remained a problem. —ALG, GMA News