BUTUAN CITY – The magnitude 6 earthquake that struck the Surigao del Sur town of San Agustin and felt around Caraga Region has brought minor damage among business establishments in the province, officials said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the tremor struck around 6:37 a.m. Monday (Nov. 16) some 29 kilometers southeast off the coast of San Agustin town. It had a depth of 33 kilometers.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) in San Agustin said the local government-owned Hornasan multi-purpose building incurred some cracks.
It said no major damages were reported after the quake, except in several stores where merchandise fell from display areas. MDRRMO said that monitoring and assessment are still ongoing as of posting time.
Meanwhile, the Hinatuan Water District in neighboring Hinatuan town reported that the tremor damaged its mainline service connection, causing a temporary supply disruption as repairs of the damaged pipes are still ongoing.
“Your water district is now working to restore water services the soonest possible time,” the water utility said in an advisory.
Hinatuan officials also reported cracks in some buildings and broken bottles and other damaged merchandise in groceries and stores in the area.
“The Hinatuan MDRRMC, through the Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) Team, conducted After Earthquake Damage Assessment to government buildings, schools, and other establishments,” the local government said in its Facebook Page.
It added that Mayor Shem G. Garay has already ordered the fast-tracking of assessment of damage to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure.
Col. James T. Goforth, director of Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office (SDSPPO), told the Philippine News Agency Monday that all police units in the province have not reported any significant damage in their respective areas of responsibility.
No major damage was also reported in Agusan del Sur.
“In our partial report as of 1 p.m. Monday, no major damages were reported in the 32 barangays in Prosperidad town,” Johnmar Galdiano, the MDRRMO in the area, said on Monday. Philippine News Agency
