The death toll in the 7.4 magnitude quake that hit Mindanao over the weekend rose to three as two more fatalities were reported in the Caraga region, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Wednesday, Dec. 6.
But the NDRRMC said all of the fatalities, including a pregnant woman in Davao Region, are still for validation along with 48 people who were reported injured as a result of the strong tremor with the epicenter traced in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
Based on the agency’s data, a total of 132,615 families, composed of 528,203 individuals, were affected by the earthquake which also recorded more than 3,300 aftershocks as of Wednesday morning.
Fortunately, the strong quake did not trigger tsunami but the NDRRMC said the tremor itself damaged almost 4,000 houses, most of them in Caraga region. Of the reported damage to houses, 304 of them turned inhabitable.
It said the tremor also affected 19 communication lines, cutting off of power supply as a result of the damage and some roads and bridges not passable to vehicles.
The entire province of Surigao del Sur already declared a state of calamity.