Earthquake destroys, damages old houses, churches, vehicles  in Vigan City

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – Several old houses, churches, and vehicles here were damaged or destroyed in the magnitude-7 earthquake Wednesday, July 27.

“May mga old houses sa Calle Reyes sa Vigan ang nasira ng malakas na lindol, may mga nabagsakan din ng pader ang mga sasakyan na nakaparada at simbahan na nasira (There were old houses and walls on Calle Reyes in Vigan that were destroyed in the earthquake. Vehicles and churches were also destroyed),” Police Lt. Col. Franklin Ortiz, Vigan City Police Office officer-in-charge, said.

Ortiz said they are conducting mobile patrols and coordinating with barangay officials to find out any casualties or injuries and ensure the welfare and safety of the public.

Police Col. Manuel Bringas, chief, Regional Finance Service Office 13 (Caraga), and a native of this city, said that their old houses were damaged in earthquake.

“Hindi rin nakaligtas ang aming mga bahay na tinutuluyan ng ilang turista (Our old houses where tourists are staying were damaged in the earthquake),” Bringas said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Ilocos Sur Second District Engineering Office said the following roads in the southern part of the province are impassable as of 1 p.m., Wednesday, July 27 as a result of the earthquake: KO 341+600 Barangay Man-Atong, Suyo, and Barangay Cayos, Quirino KO 385+500, KO 391+200, and KO 393+000.

One way passable roads are: KO 373+600 Tiagan, San Emilio-Tagudin-Cervantes Road; KO 337+800 Sitio Lipay, Barangay Urzadan, Suyo, and KO 327+500 Barangay Cabugao, Suyo.