Philippines: Quake damage in power plants still being assessed

Philippines: Quake damage in power plants still being assessed

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) as of Friday morning
was still assessing the extent of the damage brought about by the earthquake
which rattled Visayas Thursday afternoon.

The entire Eastern Visayas and nearby provinces have been experiencing power
outages due to lack of supply as the tremor shook geothermal power plants in
Kananga town.

The supply of electric power in Eastern Visayas and neighboring provinces is
generated solely from the Leyte Tongonan Geothermal Field, which generates a
total capacity of 699.4 megawatts.

"NGCP is still assessing the extent of the damage brought about by the
earthquake. Due to supply deficiency caused by the outage of power plants
located in Leyte, customers in Cebu, Negros, and Panay may also suffer
occasional power interruptions," said Edna Legaspina, NGCP media officer for
Eastern Visayas.

At least 40 aftershocks were felt within 12 hours after a 6.5 magnitude
earthquake rocked Leyte and its neighboring provinces Thursday afternoon.

Data from the Philippine Institute and Volcanology on Friday morning showed
that aftershocks had its epicenter in Ormoc City and Jaro, Leyte with a
magnitude ranging from 2.1 to 4.3.

Fault lines in Leyte have been moving since 4:10 p.m. on Thursday or just
seven minutes after magnitude 6.5 tremor hit the island that interrupted
normal activities in Leyte and Samar province with a combined population of
more than four million.

At least two people died due to earthquake from Ormoc City and nearby
Kananga, Leyte, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office
(PDRRMO) confirmed early Friday morning.

In Ormoc City, falling debris killed an 18-year old woman. At least 104
people from the city have been admitted in hospitals for suffering minor
injuries and hysteria.

In Kananga town, several people were trapped after a three-story commercial
building collapsed. A dead body was retrieved from the rubble, said Leyte
Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla.

The building houses a grocery store, lodging house, and function rooms. At
least 33 people were injured in Kananga town.

"The badly affected areas are Kananga town, Ormoc City and northwest part of
Leyte. The earthquake also triggered minor landslides and minor damages of
national roads," Petilla told reporters Thursday night.

Local government officials have suspended classes in all levels on Friday in
the entire Leyte province and cities of Tacloban and Ormoc due to ongoing
assessment of structures.

"There is a pressing need to ensure structural integrity of buildings
especially those in public and private educational institutions," Ormoc City
Mayor Richard Gomez stated in an executive order.

In an advisory on Thursday, Phivolcs said the earthquake occurred at 4:03
p.m., with its epicenter located at 15 kilometers northeast of Ormoc City.

The tectonic earthquake had a depth of 2 kilometers. It was felt at
Intensity 7 in Ormoc City and Kananga town; Intensity 6 in Jaro and
Capoocan, Leyte; Intensity 5 in Palo, Leyte; Tacloban City; Cebu City;
Mandaue City; Intensity 4 in Catbalogan City; Cabucgayan and Naval, Biliran;
Tolosa and Bato, Leyte; Hinunangan, Southern Leyte; Sagay City, Negros
Occidental; and Burgos, Surigao del Norte.

Groundshaking was also felt in the islands of Biliran, Samar, Bohol, and
Negros.

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Link to Original Article:
http://northboundasia.com/2017/07/07/quake-damage-power-plants-still-assesse
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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com