Davao pedestrian overpass closed after magnitude 5 quake

[ASEAN NOW News]

TEMPORARY CLOSURE. People are advised not to use the pedestrian overpass in Matina Crossing, Davao City, after the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office found visible cracks on the structure following the 5.6 magnitude quake Monday afternoon (Aug. 15, 2022).  The overpass will be assessed by the City Engineer’s Office to ensure its structural integrity. (Photo courtesy of Matina Crossing BDRRMC)

 

DAVAO CITY – A pedestrian overpass in Barangay Matina Crossing here was temporarily closed as more cracks were found on the structure after an intensity 5 temblor hit the city on Monday afternoon.

In a radio interview Tuesday, Alfredo Baloran, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief, said they immediately assessed buildings and other structures to ensure the safety of their continued use following the tremor.

Baloran said no one was hurt in the tremor and the overpass will be further assessed by the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) to ensure its structural integrity.

“We have coordinated this with the CEO because they have technical people who can determine if the structure is still safe for public use,” he said.

Landslide-prone areas have been inspected amid the heavy rains during the past few days, he added.

“The rainy weather experienced in the city has only increased the risk in foothills and mountainsides,” Baloran said, even as he reminded Dabawenyos to be on guard in times of natural calamities.

He also urged the Dabawenyos to immediately report any cracks found in office buildings, schools, bridges, houses, and other structures to authorities.

The tremor was felt in the city after a magnitude 5.6 quake shook parts of Mindanao, with the epicenter traced in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur. (PNA)

 

[1happykamper]

Walking underneath it is safer? ????????????????????

[scorecard]

On 8/28/2022 at 12:44 PM, 1happykamper said:

Walking underneath it is safer? ????????????????????

Well many agencies would suggest to sleep outside after an earthquake, but sleeping under the bridge would be good to protect against rain. 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Well many agencies would suggest to sleep outside after an earthquake, but sleeping under the bridge would be good to protect against rain. 

Not sure how many members have experienced severe earth tremors, here's 2 examples from when I worked in Japan:

 

1). At very large oil refinery, sudden (no warning) shaking so severe that large steel 2 door office cabinets fell over, desks and small furniture skating backwards and forwards across the floor. Luckily the refinery equipment/piping was very well designed and not one leakage or disruption.

 

2). Staying in a top floor room (about F6) in hotel not far from Hiroshima, about 2:00 am sudden (no warning) shaking so severe that it threw me out of the bed and onto the floor. Five seconds later the phone rang, recorded message (Japanese and English):

 

- "If you are unhurt please press button 1".

 

- "if you are trapped press button 2, we will come quickly".

 

- "If you don't press 1 or 2 we will come quickly".

 

I pressed '1'. Immediately a recorded word in Japanese then in English 'unhurt confirmed'.

 

However within a minute a very young staff member from the lobby (I guess the only person on duty who could speak English) unlocked the door and came in quickly and said very clearly in advanced English "Can you please confirm that you are not hurt?" I confirmed 'Yes I'm not hurt (but I was struggling to get some clothes on - sleeping naked), then he said, "the tremor has passed, from previous history it's unlikely there will be any further tremors right away", then he said "The hotel is basically undamaged, you are welcome to stay here and go back to sleep but if you would prefer to go outside and have some hot coffee then come back here I will escort you outside. Whhat would you like to do?".   The staff at my work place nearby had given me a briefing re this situation with a suggestion to go back to sleep, which I did. 

 

Breakfast process the next morning all worked to clockwork. Young man from earlier that morning  came and said hello and asked if I was all OK. Then a quick conversation, turned out he completed all of High school in New Zealand then did his bachelor degree in chemical process engineering in Australia, over 10 years exposure to English. I mentioned that I was working on a project at a close by refinery. He asked if he could visit the refinery one day.

 

I spoke to the Japanese refinery manager same day and mentioned the young man's education/degree, he interviewed the boy next day, the next Monday he started work as an enginering/management trainee.

 

When he started work he had no work experience at all but his subject knowledge and his ability to analyse and define situations was excellent, and he was very polite and humble, and he impressed everybody.