7.6 quake damages 110 houses in Eastern Visayas

By Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu

Monday 3rd of September 2012

PALO, Leyte, Sept 3 (PIA) -- The 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Eastern Visayas Friday night damaged 110 houses in the region, initial reports received by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRC) showed.

Rey Gozon, chairman of the RDRRMC, said 78 houses were totally damaged and 32 were partially damaged in seven barangays in Samar and Eastern Samar.

The highest number of damaged was reported by Brgy. 2 in MacArthur, Eastern Samar with 13 partially damaged and 74 totally damaged houses, according to Mayor Jaime Ty.

Barangays 6 and 7 of MacArthur, Eastern Samar also reported four partially damaged houses each.

Meanwhile, Guiuan, Eastern Samar listed two partially damaged houses. One house was partially damaged each in Brgy. San Isidro, Hernani, Eastern Samar and Brgy. Buenavista in San Jorge, Samar.

In Brgy. Magalles in Basey, Western Samar, seven houses were partially damaged and four were totally damaged.

Gozon also said that other structures in the region were also partially damaged due to the strong earthquake.

Among these affected structures are the chapel and barangay hall of Brgy. Magallanes; the San Jorge Church, barangay hall and basketball court in San Jorge.

A cracked wall was also reported at Balangiga District Hospital in Balangiga, Eastern Samar.

In Tacloban City, City Architect Danny Fuentebella said his office has been conducting inspections of buildings since September 1, but no building has been found to have been damaged structurally and unfit for human occupancy.

The biggest mall in Tacloban City closed for business on Saturday to give way for inspection and clean up because of fallen displays.

Several hotels also reported broken glass windows and minor cracks but these did not make them structurally defective, the city architect said. (PIA 8)