PAGASA station in Surigao del Sur sustained cracks due to quake —governor

A weather station of PAGASA in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur sustained cracks after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocked the province on Monday, Governor Alexander Pimentel said on Tuesday.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, Pimentel said PAGASA building will undergo assessment to determine if the structure is still safe to use.

“Ang pinakamalaking damage dito sa PAGASA weather station sa Hinatuan, na 'yung buong building nag-crack kaya pinapa-inspeksyon pa namin kung puwede pa 'yan magamit kasi baka delikado na,” he said.

Aside from the weather station, Pimentel said Gaisano Mall in Bislig, some gyms in Hinatuan, and many elementary school buildings in the province were also damaged.

So far, Pimentel said that no casualty has been reported.

At 6:37 a.m. on Monday, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocked San Agustin, Surigao del Sur, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). Intensity V was felt in Bislig City and Rosario, Agusan del Sur.

On September 21, the province also experienced a magnitude 6.1 earthquake.

According to Pimentel, the governors in Caraga Region have agreed to lift the requirement of COVID-19 rapid test in accessing the borders within the region so responders could easily conduct operations during disasters. --KBK, GMA News