THE NUMBER of people injured during a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that rocked the northern Philippine province of Abra on Tuesday night has gone up to 44 from an initial count of nine, authorities said on Thursday.
No fatalities were reported, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in an 8:00 am report.
Of the confirmed injuries, 32 were in Abra while 12 were in Ilocos Norte.
More injuries had been reported, NDRRMC spokesperson Bernardo Rafaelito R. Alejandro IV told a public briefing later in the day, as the council was still consolidating reports from local offices.
Almost 40,000 families or 132,208 individuals have been affected by the quake, he said.
The NDRRMC official said 2,052 houses have been damaged, 2,043 of which were partially damaged and nine were totally destroyed.
Mr. Alejandro said 200 families or 486 people were still staying in evacuation centers.
The earthquake has caused damage to infrastructure estimated at P57.7 million in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and Cordillera regions, according to a report by state-run Philippine News Agency.
The earthquake hit Lagayan, Abra at 10:59 p.m. on Tuesday, causing panic among residents who experienced a magnitude 7 quake in July that killed 11 people and injured hundreds.
The Tuesday temblor was followed by than 600 aftershocks as of 7:00 a.m. Thursday. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
