(File photo courtesy of Office of Abra Rep. Ching Bernos)
MANILA – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday reported that the total number of families affected by last week's magnitude 7 earthquake that rocked Northern Luzon has climbed to 105,241.
In its latest situation report, the agency said this figure is equivalent to 404,370 persons living in 1,115 barangays (villages) in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
However, the number of evacuation centers providing shelter to earthquake victims has dropped to 30, from Monday's figure of 40.
These facilities are now only sheltering 989 families or 3,319 individuals as some evacuees have started to return to their homes.
The death toll from the tremor stands at nine, all from CAR while those injured are now at 376 -- 374 from CAR and two from Cagayan Valley.
Still undergoing validation are reports of one death and 18 injured in the Ilocos Region.
Damaged houses were placed at 28,702 and these were reported in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, CAR, and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Of this number, 28,289 were classified as "partially damaged" and 413 are "totally damaged".
The damage to agricultural infrastructure and equipment was estimated at PHP15.2 million in CAR.
The earthquake also left PHP4.5 million worth of damage to irrigation facilities in CAR.
Meanwhile, infrastructure damage was placed at PHP1.25 billion in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, CAR and NCR.
As of this posting, the amount of aid extended to the affected communities in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and CAR has reached around PHP51.3 million.
Army units still on alert
Meanwhile, Philippine Army (PA) units in northern Luzon remain on alert as aftershocks continue to rock the area.
"The Army’s humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) teams are also working ‘round the clock in cooperation with national government agencies, local government units, and private sector volunteers to aid calamity-stricken communities and families," PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement Tuesday.
He said PA troops, reservists, and Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets continue to work hand-in-hand to bring aid to quake-affected families.
Abra-based reservists and ROTC cadets of the 1403rd Community Defense Center, 14th Regional Community Defense Group assisted Department of Social Welfare and Development personnel in hauling food packs that will be brought to Mountain Province.
Meanwhile, personnel from the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Army Signal Regiment, Army Support Command, and the Headquarters and Headquarters Support Group joined hands with the GMA Kapuso Foundation and other volunteers in distributing relief supplies to families in Abra province, the epicenter of the tremor. (PNA)
