LSIs, patients evacuated from quarantine facilities, hospital in Cataingan town
By Niño Luces
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – At least 101 quarantined locally stranded individuals (LSIs) were relocated to a safer place, while patients of Cataingan District Hospital were evacuated after quarantine and hospital facility sustained substantial damage when a 6.5-magnitude quake struck Masbate province on Tuesday morning.

In an initial assessment released by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Bicol as of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, the Cataingan Astrodome and Cataingan Municipal College sustained partial damage, which prompted authorities to relocate quarantined individuals in these facilities to the Cataingan National High School and Potenciano Abejero Elementary School.
Cataingan Astrodome and Cataingan Municipal College were the designated quarantine facilities for returning individuals coming from outside the province.
OCD-Bicol regional director Claudio Yucot also said patients from Cataingan District Hospital were evacuated outside the facility after damages were noticed in the hospital building.
There were also 16 houses that were reported to have been damaged in three towns of Masbate. Yucot said 12 houses were totally destroyed in Palanas town, one in Cataingan town and one in Pio V. Corpuz town, while two houses were partially damaged in the towns of Palanas and Cataingan.
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Yucot added that among infrastructure damaged by the strong quake were the concrete road and docking area of Cataingan port, Public Attorney’s Office building, Old and New Cataingan Public Market and Cataingan Municipal Police Station.
He added that as of press time, one person was reported killed, and 25 individuals were hurt during the incident.