Over 2,000 personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), including medical doctors, were dispatched to the earthquake-hit Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to provide the necessary assistance to the region’s distressed areas.
BFP chief Director Louie Puracan said at least 25 fire trucks were already sent various parts of Northern Luzon for water rationing and debris-clearing operations.
Reports disclosed that at least five persons were killed and more than 60 individuals were injured with dozens of structures including historical buildings destroyed by the tremor.
BFP-National Capital Region (NCR) Director Chief Supt. Gilbert Dolot said he deployed 136 personnel to augment the workforce of the other BFP regional offices.
The BFP Region 1 Office sent 300 personnel with BFP Regions 2 and 3 dispatching 300 and 200 men respectively.
Puracan noted that 1,500 BFP personnel were deployed in Abra while the other men were distributed in the areas of Benguet and parts of Ilocos Sur.
The BFP chief said that Dolot also sent one mobile clinic with three medical doctors, a mobile kitchen and a K-9 unit on standby should there be search, rescue and retrieval operations. (Chito A. Chavez)