Damage caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that killed eight persons in Surigao Del Norte has risen more than half a billion pesos, the National Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on Thursday.

Based on its latest report, damage to infrastructure reached P699,048,532.91 pesos.

This is broken down to: 14,250,000 pesos on roads, 89,200,000 pesos for bridges, 7,000,000 pesos for Caraga Regional Hospital, 2,000,000 pesos for Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, 7,698,000 for Surigao State College of Technology, 150,000,000 pesos for Surigao City Campus, 12,000,000 pesos for Quezon Campus, 161,500,000 pesos for Port Facilities, 7,309,532.91 pesos for electric power facilities, water supply structures of 1,700,000 pesos; San Francisco Infrastructure and Residential Houses of 27,000,000, provincial government building and infrastructure of 104,391,000, and 115,000,000 pesos for the damaged Anao-aon bridge.

“We hope it will no longer rise but it is not the final assessment so we could not say in finality that these is the actual cost of damage, it’s possible that it may still change we are still awaiting for final assessment reports,” said NDRMMC spokesperson Romina Marasigan.

Assistance extended to the victims reached P12.7 million, with the social welfare department accounting for P9.2 million.

The number of damaged houses in Surigao del Norte rose to 3,257, majority of which or 3,042 houses were partially damaged while 215 others were totally destroyed because the tremor.

Power has been restored in eleven out of 12 municipalities while water supply is at 90 percent. Robina Asido/DMS