MANILA, (PNA) — As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, the death toll in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck parts of Central Visayas reached 155.
According to PO3 Carl John Legazpi, desk officer of the Bohol provincial police’s operations branch, some 145 people died while 186 were injured and 22 missing in Bohol Province only.
Legazpi said that 42 were killed in Loon town alone, followed by 15 in Maribojoc, 13 in Antequera, 10 in San Isidro, nine in Sagbayan, seven each in Tubigon and Bilar, five each in Calape and Balilihan, four each in Tagbilaran City, Catigbian, Clarin, and Inabanga, two each in Alburquerque, Cortes, Danao, Getafe, and Loay, and one each in Baclayon, Batuan, Sierra Bullones, Talibon, and Trinidad.
Citing reports reaching the Bohol Police Provincial Office, Legazpi said 11 people remain missing in Loon, four in Antequera, three each in Tagbilaran and Clarin, and one in Sevilla, or a total of 22.
He said that according to the relatives, the missing persons were reported trapped inside their houses or other structures.
Legaspi also said it was not immediately known if the 22 include those who were found dead Wednesday afternoon, as the provincial police was experiencing difficulties in communicating with units stationed in areas experiencing power outage.
Meanwhile, Minda Morante, Office of Civil Defense-7 director, said nine people were killed in Cebu province and one died in Siquijor.
In a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Major Rey Balido, spokesman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said that a total of 106 people were injured in Cebu, three in Siquijor, and one in Negros Oriental.
Balido said that the quake had affected 593,561 families or 3,017,814 persons in three provinces of Region 7.
Of these, some 5,992 families or 30,359 individuals are being sheltered in 51 evacuation centers (34 in Bohol and 17 in Cebu).
He added that 67 percent of power are restored in Bohol.