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Hundreds of aftershocks rattle Masbate after powerful quake

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/08/19/20200818-masbate-earthquake-prcmasbate-12.jpg"/><figcaption>Rescue workers check a collapsed structure in Barangay Alimango, Cataingan, Masbate after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit the area on Aug. 18, 2020. <em>Philippine Red Cross Masbate</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — At least 280 aftershocks were recorded in Masbate province following a powerful quake that damaged houses and roads, the country’s chief seismologist said Wednesday, as he warned residents to stay away from damaged structures. </p><p>Of the total aftershocks tallied as of 4 a.m., 108 had magnitudes ranging from 1.6 to 4.4, said Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum. </p><p>“Kaya nga ang advice natin, sa mga bahay at gusaling nasira, dapat i-evacuate muna ito at inspeksyunin ng mga engineers kung magagamit pa o hindi,” he told ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo. </p><p>“Iyong malalakas na aftershocks, puwedeng ituloy ‘yong dagdag na kasiraan ng bahay, gusali at tuluyang bumagsak.” </p><p>(This is why our advice is that damaged houses and building should be evacuated and inspected by engineers to determine whether or not these can still be used. Strong aftershocks can cause further damage to structures and bring them down.) </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Ljunj2amc8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Tuesday’s magnitude 6.6 quake killed a retired policeman whose 3-story house collapsed in the outskirts of Cataingan town, which lies several kilometers west of the epicenter in the Samar Sea. </p><p>Police said 18 people were also injured in the town. But Mayor Felipe Cabatana said about 48 were hurt, most of them hit by falling shelves and furniture inside their homes. </p><p>&quot;I thought it was the end of the world,&quot; said Cabatana referring to the quake&#x27;s strength. </p><p>In nearby Palanas, at least 27 people were injured after being hit by falling objects or when their motorbikes crashed as the ground moved in the town, Chris Adique, a municipal disaster officer. </p><p>None were in a critical condition, he added.</p><p>Search and rescue efforts were still underway in the region.</p><p>The quake struck as the archipelago battles surging numbers of coronavirus infections, with more than 169,000 cases and restrictions on movement that vary across the country.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/infographic/03/17/20/tracking-covid-19-cases-in-the-philippines">Tracking COVID-19 cases in the Philippines</a></li></ul><p>A lockdown affecting a quarter of the population, including the capital Manila, will be eased Wednesday.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Masbate province and rattled neighboring areas on August 18 morning. The temblor left at least one dead and several injured.<br/><br/>The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology says a movement in the Philippine Fault Zone caused the quake. <a href="https://t.co/9dadKngMxn">pic.twitter.com/9dadKngMxn</a></p>— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews/status/1295688334224826368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2020</a></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>Cabatana said between 5,000 and 6,000 people would spend the night sleeping outside because emergency shelters were being used as COVID-19 quarantine centers, some of which were also damaged in the quake.</p><p>&quot;Our most urgent concern is temporary shelter because our funds have run out having been allocated for COVID,&quot; he said.</p><p>The government said help would be made available.</p><p>&quot;These natural disasters are a part of our lives and we always recover,&quot; said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque. ”People should not worry about getting relief assistance. They will be provided.”</p><p>The Philippines is situated on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot;, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.</p><p>A 6.8-magnitude quake struck the southern island of Mindanao in December, killing at least three 3, injuring dozens and damaging buildings. </p><div><strong> — With a report from Agence France-Presse </strong></div>

<p>At least 280 aftershocks were recorded in Masbate province following a powerful quake that damaged houses and roads, the country’s chief seismologist said Wednesday, as he warned residents to stay away from damaged structures. <br /> </p>

At least 280 aftershocks were recorded in Masbate province following a powerful quake that damaged houses and roads, the country’s chief seismologist said Wednesday, as he warned residents to stay away from damaged structures.