Davao condominium collapses after strong earthquake; 9 hurt, 5 missing
Two floors of a posh condominium in Davao City collapsed after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolted parts of Mindanao on Thursday morning, October 31. | Photo from the Facebook account of Johlanz Manlucob
CAGAYAN DE ORO — Nine persons were hurt while five others are missing when two floors of a posh condominium in Davao City collapsed following the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that jolted parts of Mindanao Thursday morning, October 31.
Lieutenant Colonel Consolito Yecla, Task Force Davao commander, said soldiers and rescuers are still searching for the missing five tenants of Condominium 4000 in Ecoland, Davao City as of noon Thursday.
Earlier, Yecla said rescuers were able to pull out nine persons, one of them in serious condition, from the condominium.
“Our soldiers and rescuers are inspecting the lower floors right now looking for the missing persons. It is a slow progress,” Yecla said.
Yecla said the ground level and second floor of the building collapsed at the height of the tremblor.
He said they already finished searching the top floors where they found the nine tenants that were rescued.
“The condominium is totally damaged. It should be condemned,” Yecla said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said a magnitude 6.5 quake struck Tulunan, North Cotabato Thursday, the third quake in a month.
Philvocs said the tremor was felt in Kidapawan and Davao cities at intensity seven.
In Kidapawan City, Colonel Rey Alvarado, commanding officer of the Army 72nd Infantry Battalion said the entire façade of Eva Hotel collapsed.
Alvarado said no one was injured.
“Luckily the hotel stopped accepting guest two days ago after city building officials found some cracks,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado said it was a different story at the adjoining Kidapawan Doctors Hospital.
He said soldiers and rescuers have to evacuate all the patients from the eight-story building.
Alvarado said the evacuation lasted until noon of Thursday, October 31.
Lieutenant General Felimon Santos, commander of the Armed Forces Eastern Command, directed all Army units to activate their disaster response teams to respond to the quake victims.
Santos said the order covers helicopter units from the Philippine Air Force which will be used to fly food supplies to villages that were isolated when the roads were destroyed. / celr
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