Bohol quake death toll rises to 213, damage at P1.6-B

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 213 bodies have been recovered and eight more were missing in quake-hit areas in Central Visayas, the government's disaster response agency reported Saturday morning.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that the latest fatalities were recovered in towns hit by the magnitude-7.2 quake in Bohol province.

In the agency's 6 a.m. report, the total fatalities recorded in Bohol were 199, 13 in Cebu and one in Siquijor.

Majority of the missing victims are children and all of them are residents of Bohol, five of which are from the epicenter of the quake, Sagbayan town. They were identified as Milka Baliling, 6; Roger Tagsip, 17; Henera Anunciado, 52; Jess Marvin Empinado, 10; Meme Jane Empinado, 9; Reynaldo Sipsip, 15; Joellene Somoro, 11 and Jonalyn Somoro, 13.

The NDRRMC also reported that 644,253 families or at least 3.2 million people were affected by the earthquake in the Visayas and 360,018 of the affected individuals are staying in temporary shelters.

As of the last report received by the agency, a total of 56,933 houses in Bohol, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Iloilo, Siquijor and Guimaras were damaged by the deadly earthquake.

The quake's estimated damage to infrastructure was at P1.6 billion.