Today in History: Earthquake kills thousands causing $3 billion+ worth of damage
The earthquake and its aftershocks caused damage to the tune of billions of Philippine Pesos on the island of Luzon.
More than 2 000 people were killed when a 7,8 magnitude earthquake struck Luzon Island in the Philippines on this day in 1990.
The massive tremor wreaked havoc across a sizeable portion of Luzon, the country’s largest island, with Baguio City suffering the most devastating effects.
The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 4.26pm, was north of Manila in the Nueva Ecija province. Reports indicate that the shaking went on for 45 seconds. Collapsing buildings were the main cause of damage and death. Getting out of a multi-storey building was a good safety precaution that afternoon, although many people were injured and a few even died in stampedes of others doing the same thing.
At Christian College, a six-storey building collapsed completely, trapping approximately 250 students and teachers inside. Heroic rescue efforts saved many, but some victims who did not die in the collapse were later found dead from dehydration, because they were not pulled out in time.
All types of buildings, including several resorts in Baguio, known as the Philippines’ Summer Capital, suffered tremendous damage. Most of the city’s 100 000 residents slept outdoors that evening and during the following week, afraid to return to their homes amid the frequent aftershocks.
Two days later, a 5,3 magnitude aftershock caused even more damage to the already wasted island.
For days, workers continued to pull bodies from the demolished buildings in Baguio. Rescue efforts were hampered severely because the three main roads into the city were blocked by landslides. Hundreds of motorists were stranded on the roads as well.
Outside of Baguio, a chemical factory fire also caused terrible damage. The Tuba gold and copper mine in the area also lost 30 workers when a mine collapsed. Baguio, sitting on at least seven fault lines, is now listed as one of the most risk-prone cities in Asia. In addition to the risk of earthquakes, the area’s high annual rainfall increases the likelihood of deadly landslides.
All-in-all, the damage cost the country 15 billion Philippine Pesos, which, when converted using modern conversion rates, is equivalent to approximately $280 million or about R3,7 billion today.
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