Damage reported as quake rocks Lanao del Sur town
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY–Homes and government structures were damaged by a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that shook Wao town in Lanao del Sur past midnight on Saturday.
Residents were roused from their sleep by the jolt which lasted for at least 10 seconds, based on footage captured by closed circuit television cameras.
On social media, many residents posted episodes of the shaking and the aftermath, such as toppled household items, cracks on walls, and damaged beams and posts.
Merchandise on the shelves of several convenience stores were also thrown into the floor amid the tremor that also brought down a glass wall, one post showed.
Cracks everywhere
The most prominent damage was on the three-storey building of the Bureau of Fire Protection that was only recently completed and occupied, according to a video posted by residents on social media.
Saturday’s quake led to more damage to at least six classrooms in Park Area village which were wrought by an earlier tremor on March 6, another video showed.
Several other social media posts by residents showed cracks in the walls of a Catholic chapel, the town’s Hall of Justice building, and in the dome of a mosque.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the earthquake struck three kilometers southeast of Wao town at 12:53 a.m. It had a depth of three kilometers.
It was reported by Phivolcs at Intensity 5 in Wao and Intensity 4 in nearby Kalilangan town, Bukidnon; Banisilan, Cotabato; and Amai Manabilang, Lanao del Sur.
In the towns of Don Carlos, Kadingilan and Pangantucan of Bukidnon, the quake was felt at Intensity 3.
As of Saturday, the Wao municipal disaster risk reduction and management office was still assessing damage and compiling reports from affected residents.
Prior to Saturday’s tremor, Wao was hit by a magnitude 4.6 quake on March 6, and magnitude 4.3 on March 7.
