Death toll in Philippine quake rises to 41February 12, 2012 - 16:01 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The death toll in a magnitude-6.9 earthquake in the central Philippines rose to 41, with 67 people still missing and feared dead, the Office of Civil Defence said. The toll rose after rescue teams recovered two bodies from landslides caused by February 6 quake in Negros Oriental province, 570 kilometres south of Manila. The civil defence office said 28 were still missing in the village of Planas in Guihulngan City and 39 in the village of Solonggon in nearby La Libertad town. Rescue operations were being hampered by strong aftershocks and intermittent heavy rains threatening to cause more landslides, authorities said. The military has been distributing relief goods to more than 80,000 residents, who were staying in makeshift tents or evacuation centres for fear the aftershocks would cause their houses to collapse. The quake destroyed more than 5,600 houses, while partially damaged 5,002. Many roads cracked while three key bridges in the province collapsed. Damages caused by the tremor were estimated to cost at least 365.36 million pesos (8.69 million dollars), the OCD said, M&C reported quoting DPA. The Philippines, located along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' suffered its worst earthquake in 1990 when a 7.7-magnitude tremor killed nearly 2,000 people on the northern island of Luzon. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |