PORAC, Pampanga — An official of the Pampanga Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) on Thursday confirmed that there are no signs of life under the Chuzon Supermarket rubble that was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake on April 22, Monday.
In a phone interview, PDRRMO head Angelina Blanco said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), along with private partners, has started clearing operations today as there are no signs of life underneath the collapsed 4-storey building.
“We already accounted for the 92 employees of the Chuzon Supermarket as well as the customers who were trapped inside during Monday’s earthquake,” Blanco added.
Damage to properties and infrastructure in the province has yet to be determined as of press time.
Blanco also confirmed that death toll in Pampanga is 15 – 12 in Porac, two from Lubao town and one from Angeles City.
The provincial government led by Governor Lilia Pineda and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are now extending financial assistance to victims of the earthquake.
Meantime, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Chuzon employees will be priotized in their upcoming job fair.