China News Agency, Manila, July 28 (Xinhua) According to local media reports, on July 28, the earthquake-stricken Abra Province in the Philippines declared a state of disaster. The bureau camp hosted a briefing on the impact of the earthquake.
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Abra Province on the 27th, causing power interruptions and damage to some buildings. Five people have been killed and 131 injured so far. Some residents still live outdoors and lack food and clean water. The Abra provincial government therefore decided to declare a state of disaster in order to activate emergency funds and better carry out various disaster relief operations.
According to the Philippine News Agency, Marcos went to Abra Province on the 28th to check the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake. After hearing reports from local administrators, Marcos distributed relief kits to earthquake victims. He said at the scene that the government will ensure that the victims get food and tents and other supplies.
On the same day, Marcos also visited the Abra Provincial Hospital to learn about the conditions of those injured in the strong earthquake.
At the briefing on the impact of the earthquake, Marcos instructed all departments to summarize the disaster situation, open up the closed roads as soon as possible, and restore the power supply.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command reported that the Armed Forces have allocated 10 aircraft for local post-disaster response; more than 100 personnel have been deployed for search and rescue operations, and 500 personnel are on standby.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that it has allocated $5 million to Abra Province to support people who were injured in the earthquake and had their homes destroyed or partially damaged, with $5 million to be distributed to the province for disaster relief in the future.
The Philippine Department of Defense reported that more than 20,000 people in 4,969 families in about 110 towns were affected by the earthquake. Currently, some 2,312 families have been placed in evacuation centres, 413 families have sought shelter with relatives and others have set up tents near their houses.