SAN QUINTIN, Abra (PIA) -- Following the magnitude 7 earthquake  that shook Northern Luzon last July 27 and  the aftershocks, around 128 families in Zone 2 in Barangay Tangadan in this town  were forcibly evacuated Monday(Aug. 1)  due to threat of landslide.

Aerial assessment by the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) noted huge cracks in a nearby mountain that pose danger to the community.

For the safety of the residents, the local government unit (LGU) of San Quintin through the initiative of Mayor Jovellen Aznar requested the provincial government for assistance for the force evacuation of the families in the area.
 

Members-agencies of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) and Cordillera RDRRMC immediately proceeded to the said barangay to inform and assist the residents in the evacuation.
 
Office of the Civil Defense -Cordillera Engr. Jose Valera stated that it is crucial to make sure that no one in the area is left behind.
 
“It is very important to make sure that each house is inspected so that no one is left behind to avoid further casualties and injuries,” he stressed.
 
Tangadan Punong Barangay Geronimo Pajara said that the families were temporarily moved to an open area in Zone 1, in the same barangay. Emergency shelters were set-up in the designated evacuation site. Relief supplies were also immediately delivered to the area from various government agencies.
 
In an interview, Aznar said relief goods, hygiene kits and sleeping kits   are being distributed to earthquake- affected families in the municipality.
 
“Patuloy ang pamimigay natin ng mga relief supplies sa mga families na apektadu galing sa LGU po. So far, wala po kaming recorded na casualty dito, and we are closely monitoring the landslide-prone areas,” Aznar said.
 
The needs of the BLGU and MDRRMC were also assessed for assistance. (JDP/CAGT – PIA CAR, Abra)