3. - usaid
Share Embed Flag
Download ePaper

3. - usaid

3. - usaid 3. - usaid

pdf.usaid.gov
from pdf.usaid.gov More from this publisher
26.12.2013 Views

PHILIPPINES CHARACI'ERIS??CS OF THE DISASTER EVENT: Earthquake DATGTIME: August 2, 1968 at -- - --- - ---------- I 4:20 AM local time LDCATION: hzon Island - Especially Manila I Jomalig Island 120°E 122O 12Q0 DAMAGES: Killed Injured 326 233 A 6-story tenement building (Ruby Towpers) in Manila was conpletely destmyed; a warehouse in Manila South Harbor ca.ught fire, DESCRIPTION OF THE DISASTER A major ragnitude earthquake registering 7 on the Richter scale, struck Luzon Island on August 2. It was centered at Isabela, approximately 124 miles east, northeast of Manila and affected the entire island, It was the stmrqpst earthquake to rock Manila in living memory, It lasted one minute. The six floors of the Ruby Towers, a crowded tenement building, "flattened like a collapsed accordion", resulting in the first massive death tragedy in the post-war years of the Republic of the Philippines. Several other buildings cracked, window glasses were shattered, one 12ON building tilted, and a BESTAVAlLABLE CCFY

warehouse in the Manila South Harbor containing about two million pesos worth of shipments cawt fire due to snapping of electrical wires. The destruction of the Ruby Towers accounted for all 326 of the lives lost and 233 mured* The earthquake struck with varying degrees of intensity throughout Iuzon over a 7 minute time span. In Manila the intensity was registered at VI. A second, milder earthquake with an intensity of I11 occurred at 4:46 AM. Two hundred and fifty-four persons were recovered alive flm the rubble of Ruby Towers by Sunday, August 4. h Monday, August 5, hope had been given up that any more survivors would be found but on August 7 diggers found still alive a 10 year old jqirl, Suzie Wong Chan, and her cousin Nancy Wong Chan, 13. Suziets mother, father, brother and grandfathel? died in the quake. Her two younger sisters had been rescued on Saturclay, August 3. Suzie was able to talk when rescuers found her and kept saying "I don't want to diett. Doctors predicted that Suzie would recover. Her cousin was in more serious condition. ACTION TAKEN GOVERNMENT PHILIPPINES AND ORGANIZATIONS President Ferdinand Marcos was awakened by the phone call of '?Johnny Midnightu, the only radio conmentator on the air from midnight till early morning, who informed him of the Ruby Towers tragedy minuties after the deadly earthquake. The President ordered all relief agencdes of the government to take steps toward alleviating the plight of the victims. To facilitate the relief work, he ordered the Budget Comnissl.oner to release two million pesos ($512,820.51) to aupent the fund at hand for relief work and to reserve an additional three million pesos ($769,230.77) for any f'urther need. Major General Gaudencio V. Tobias, AFP Vice Chief of Staff' at that time, was designated coordinator for the rescue operations. Three companies of an AFP engineering brigade conposed of some 250 officers 2nd men undertook the rescue mission. But even before the arrival of the army, there were already civilian rescue workers in the area who started to help in whatever way they could. A total of about 6,000 rescue workers (soldiers, nurses, nuns, boy and girl scouts, students and youth volunteers )-Filipinos, Americans, Chinese and ether nationalities-worked in shifts around-the-clock, ra.clng against time to save the lives of an estimated 600 tenants of the build-. Cranes, trucks, forklifts, wreckers, and other excavating equipmenlt were used. Conations poured in fmm individual donors-cash, shoes, f'lash~lgnts, use? clothes, blankets, foodstuffs, medicine, face masks, gloves, radio phones, and other supplies. Cranes and other rescue equipment were loaned from private sources to a-nt the equipment brought in by the national eoternnt. Medicdl supplies and drugs were donated by the Philippine Medical Association, the Dfllg Association of the Philippines and other private companies.

PHILIPPINES<br />

CHARACI'ERIS??CS OF THE DISASTER<br />

EVENT:<br />

Earthquake<br />

DATGTIME: August 2, 1968 at<br />

-- - ---<br />

- ---------- I 4:20 AM local time<br />

LDCATION: hzon Island -<br />

Especially Manila<br />

I<br />

Jomalig Island<br />

120°E 122O 12Q0<br />

DAMAGES: Killed Injured<br />

326 233<br />

A 6-story tenement building<br />

(Ruby Towpers) in Manila was<br />

conpletely destmyed; a<br />

warehouse in Manila South<br />

Harbor ca.ught fire,<br />

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISASTER<br />

A major ragnitude earthquake<br />

registering 7 on the Richter<br />

scale, struck Luzon Island on<br />

August 2. It was centered at<br />

Isabela, approximately 124<br />

miles east, northeast of<br />

Manila and affected the entire<br />

island, It was the stmrqpst<br />

earthquake to rock Manila in<br />

living memory, It lasted one<br />

minute. The six floors of the<br />

Ruby Towers, a crowded tenement<br />

building, "flattened like<br />

a collapsed accordion",<br />

resulting in the first massive<br />

death tragedy in the post-war<br />

years of the Republic of the<br />

Philippines. Several other<br />

buildings cracked, window<br />

glasses were shattered, one<br />

12ON building tilted, and a<br />

BESTAVAlLABLE CCFY

logo

products

Resources

Company

Terms of service
Privacy policy
Cookie policy
Cookie settings
Imprint
Change language
Made with love in Switzerland
© 2024 Yumpu.com all rights reserved

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!