Deaths from Masbate quake rise to two, at least 50 injured: officials

August 19, 2020

A resident died from a heart attack as a 6.6 magnitude earthquake rattled Masbate on Tuesday, raising the death toll to two.

''The person had a heart attack during the earthquake,'' said Mayor Felipe Catana of Cataingan municipality, hardest hit by the tremor, in an interview with dzBB.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located seven kilometers southeast of Cataingan, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

Catana said 50 persons were injured but this figure could increase at the Bicol regional Office of Civil Defense said 48,mostly from Cataingan and Palanas municipalities, were hurt.

Estimated damages to infrastructures was placed at P23, 960,000, according to a report by the Bicol regional Office of Civil Defense.

OCD Bicol said estimated cost of damage is at P23,960,000.

Damaged were roads and other government buildings such as offices, schools, police station, hospital, market and port.

OCD Bicol said the quake caused landslides in Brgy. Matayu, Cataingan and sea sinkhole in Brgy. Kasabangan, Pio V Corpuz. Robina Asido/DMS