• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
In the wake of the strong earthquake that hit the province of Negros Occidental, authorities reported that minor cracks were detected on the 4th and 5th floors of Cadiz District Hospital, which caused a forced evacuation of the building.
Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said in an interview that after the intensity IV earthquake experienced in the city, they immediately conducted a site inspection to ensure the structural integrity of the facility, and upon investigation, the minor cracks were discovered.
He further disclosed that all the patients situated on the affected floors were immediately transferred to the lower floors for safety purposes.
“We saw cracks inside the facility, and we immediately ordered to transfer the patients to the lower floors,” he explained, citing that the inspection for the structural integrity is being conducted by a provincial engineer.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the hospital is prohibited from using the damaged floors for safety measures until the engineering office and the Department of Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) issue a clearance citing that the facility is safe and stable for use.
“It is necessary to have clearance before they can use the facility again,” Lacson stressed.
Moreover, the Cadiz mayor reported that no damage was detected in school buildings. He tasked the public school administrators to manually inspect their respective buildings to ensure the safety of the students.
At around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake was felt across the Visayas region, with the epicenter in Bogo City, Cebu, which has so far taken more than 60 lives.
Negros Occidental Provincial DRRMO Head Irene Bel Ploteña clarified on the evening of the earthquake that only intensities were recorded in the province, while the magnitude is at the epicenter in Cebu. She also reminded the public to stay vigilant and ensure personal safety.
According to the United States Geological Survey, magnitude scales, like the moment magnitude, measure the size of the earthquake at its source. An earthquake has one magnitude. The magnitude does not depend on where the measurement is made.
Intensity scales, on the other hand, measure the amount of shaking at a particular location. An earthquake causes many different intensities of shaking in the area of the epicenter where it occurs. So the intensity of an earthquake will vary depending on the location. Sometimes earthquakes are referred to by the maximum intensity they produce.*
