Hospital patients in Mati City, Davao Oriental, were temporarily transferred to the covered courts as a precautionary measure, according to Mati City MDRRMO Head Charlemagne Bagasol.

In an interview on DZRH’s Public Hour, Bagasol reported that 79 aftershocks were recorded in the city, with the strongest reaching magnitude 5.4. As a safety precaution, patients from the provincial hospital were not returned to the hospital building and were instead temporarily moved to the covered courts of the Philippine Army Reserve Command and the Girl Scouts.

Meanwhile, two casualties were reported following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake, along with multiple cases of minor injuries, panic attacks, and difficulty breathing, although most did not require hospitalization.

The first fatality, according to Bagasol, was a 54-year-old woman who was crushed by the collapsed fence of an electrical company. She was declared dead on arrival and did not make it to the hospital.

The second was a 70-year-old male patient who suffered a cardiac arrest during the quake while admitted to a hospital.

Furthermore, several school buildings sustained partial damage to some of their classrooms.

Bagasol said that assessments and monitoring are ongoing to determine which affected residents may be transferred to evacuation centers, should they choose to relocate.

He added that although some roads, such as the one in Sitio Slide, Barangay Tagabakid, have experienced minor movement, they remain passable. However, several houses have been completely damaged.