1990 Luzon earthquake
Encyclopedia
The Luzon earthquake occurred on Monday, July 16, 1990, at 4:26 PM local time in the Philippines
. The densely populated island of Luzon was struck by an earthquake with a 7.8 Ms (surface-wave magnitude)
. The earthquake produced a 125 km-long ground rupture that stretched from Dingalan, Aurora
to Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija
as a result of strike-slip movements along the Philippine Fault and the Digdig Fault within the Philippine Fault System
. The earthquake epicenter was placed at 15° 42' N and 121° 7' E near the town of Rizal, Nueva Ecija
, northeast of Cabanatuan City
.
An estimated 1,621 people were killed in the earthquake, most of the fatalities located in Central Luzon
and the Cordillera region
.
and through the Central Luzon
region. The earthquake was strongly felt in Metropolitan Manila, Destroying many buildings and leading to panic and stampedes and ultimately three deaths in the National Capital Region, one of the lowest fatalities recorded in the wake of the tremor.
The Southern Tagalog (nowadays Regions 4A and 4B) and Bicol Regions also felt the quake, but with low casualty figures.
The quake destroyed electric, water and communication lines in the city. The main vehicular route to Baguio, Kennon Road
, as well as other access routes to the mountain city were shut down due to landslides, and it took three days before enough landslide debris was cleared to allow access by road to the stricken city. Baguio City was isolated from the rest of the Philippines for the first 48 hours after the quake. Damage at Loakan Airport
rendered access to the city by air limited through helicopters. American & Philippine Air Force
C-130s did evacuate many residents from this airport. Many city residents, as well as patients confined in hospital buildings damaged by the quake were forced to stay inside tents set up in public places, such as in Burnham Park
, or in the streets. Looting of department stores in the city was reported.
Among the first rescuers to arrive at the devastated city were miners from Benguet Corporation, who focused on rescue efforts at the collapsed Hotel Nevada. Teams sent by the Philippine government and by foreign governments and agencies likewise participated in the rescue and retrieval operations in Baguio City.
One of the more prominent buildings destroyed was the Hyatt Terraces Hotel
where at least eighty hotel employees and guests were killed. However, three hotel employees were pulled out alive after having been buried under the rubble for nearly two weeks, and after international rescue teams had abandoned the site convinced there were no more survivors. Luisa Mallorca and Arnel Calabia were extricated from the rubble 11 days after the quake, while hotel cook Pedrito Dy was recovered alive 14 days following the earthquake. All three survived in part by drinking their own urine and in Dy's case, rainwater. At that time, Dy's 14-day ordeal was cited as a world record for entombment underneath rubble.
The United States Agency for International Development
was sponsoring a seminar at the Hotel Nevada when the tremor struck, causing the hotel to collapse. 27 of the seminar participants, including one American USAID official were killed in the quake. Among those who were pulled out alive from the ruins of the hotel was future Presidential candidate Sonia Roco
, wife of politician Raul Roco
, who was pulled out from the rubble by miners after 36 hours.
, Nueva Ecija
, the tallest building in the city, a six-story concrete school building housing the Christian College of the Philippines, collapsed during the earthquake, which occurred during school hours. Around 154 people were killed at the CCP building. Unlike in Baguio City, local and international journalists were able to arrive at Cabanatuan City within hours after the tremor, and media coverage of the quake in its immediate aftermath centered on the collapsed school, where rescue efforts were hampered by the lack of heavy equipment to cut through the steel reinforcement of fallen concrete. Some of the victims who did not die in the collapse were found dead later from dehydration because they were not pulled out in time.
A 20-year old high school student, Robin Garcia, was later credited with rescuing at least eight students and teachers by twice returning under the rubble to retrieve survivors. Garcia was killed by an aftershock hours after the quake while trying to rescue more survivors, and he received several posthumous tributes, including medals of honor from the Boy Scouts of the Philippines
and President Corazon Aquino
's Grieving Heart Award for his heroic effort that caught the world's attention of the quake due to quick media coverage in the city, since most of the buildings were damaged save for the CCP building which was collapsed totally.
The Christian College of the Philippines was the only building in Cabanatuan City that collapsed during the earthquake. The city suffered about 363 casualties, (including 274 who were trapped ), with 154 of them dead. Most of the buildings here suffered moderately.
, about 90 buildings in the city were damaged, and about 20 collapsed. Some structures sustained damage because liquefaction caused buildings to sink as much as 1 meter (39 inches). The earthquake caused a decrease in the elevation of the city and several areas were flooded. The city suffered 64 casualties of which 47 survived and 17 died. Most injuries were sustained during stampedes at a university building and a theater.
were affected: Agoo
, Aringay
, Caba
, Santo Tomas
, and Tubao
with a combined population of 132,208. Many buildings collapsed or were severely damaged. 100,000 families were displaced when two coastal villages sank due to liquefaction
. The province suffered many casualties and 32 of them died.
The earthquake caused different patterns of damage in different parts of Luzon Island. The mountain resort of Baguio was most severely affected, probably because it had the highest population density and many tall concrete buildings, which were more susceptible to seismic damage. Because all routes of communication, roads, and airport access were severed for several days, relief efforts were also the most difficult there. Relief efforts were further hampered by daily drenching, cold rains. Because Baguio is home to a large mining company and a military academy, experienced miners and other disciplined volunteers played a crucial role in early rescue efforts. Rescue teams arriving from Manila and elsewhere in Luzon were able to decrease mortality from major injuries. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, and specialized equipment and supplies were brought to the area, and victims were promptly treated. Patients requiring specialized care (e.g., hemodialysis) not available in the disaster area were airlifted to tertiary hospitals in metropolitan Manila. Outside of Baguio, destruction tended to be more diffuse. Damage was caused by landslides in the mountains and settling in coastal areas. Relief efforts in these areas were prompt and successful, partly because the areas remained accessible.
On July 19, 3 days after the earthquake, the priority of relief efforts shifted from treatment of injuries to public health concerns. For example, numerous broken pipes completely disrupted water systems, limiting the availability of potable water, and refugees who camped in open areas had no adequate toilet facilities. Early efforts at providing potable water by giving refugees chlorine granules were unsuccessful. Most potable water was distributed from fire engines, and DOH sanitarians chlorinated the water before it was distributed. Surveys of refugee areas showed few latrines; these had to be dug by the DOH.
and GMA-7 covered the aftermath of the killer earthquake as news reporters took place in separate locations. Newscasts such as ABS-CBN's TV Patrol and The World Tonight
, and GMA-7's GMA Balita
and GMA Headline News
started various news coverage headlines about the killer quake. Several radio stations are also followed the news coverage. Even foreign news outlets such as CNN
, ABC News
, NHK
and others started the same coverage from reporters.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The densely populated island of Luzon was struck by an earthquake with a 7.8 Ms (surface-wave magnitude)
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
. The earthquake produced a 125 km-long ground rupture that stretched from Dingalan, Aurora
Dingalan, Aurora
Dingalan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 21,992 people in 4,115 households.Dingalan has several caves, of which the Lamao Caves are the best known...
to Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija
Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija
Cuyapo is a 1st class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 55,456 people in 11,337 households.-Barangays:Cuyapo is politically subdivided into 52 barangays.* Baloy* Bambanaba...
as a result of strike-slip movements along the Philippine Fault and the Digdig Fault within the Philippine Fault System
Philippine Fault System
The Philippine Fault System is an inter-related system of faults throughout the whole of the Philippine Archipelago, primarily caused by tectonic forces compressing the Philippines into what tectonic geophysicists call the Philippine Mobile Belt....
. The earthquake epicenter was placed at 15° 42' N and 121° 7' E near the town of Rizal, Nueva Ecija
Rizal, Nueva Ecija
Rizal is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 52,465 people in 10,001 households....
, northeast of Cabanatuan City
Cabanatuan City
The City of Cabanatuan is a first class, urban city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is considered the commercial, industrial and educational hub of the province. According to the latest census, it has a population of 259,267 people in 45,424 households which makes it the largest...
.
An estimated 1,621 people were killed in the earthquake, most of the fatalities located in Central Luzon
Central Luzon
Central Luzon , also known as Region III , is an administrative division or region of the Republic of the Philippines, primarily serve to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plain of the island of Luzon , for administrative convenience...
and the Cordillera region
Cordillera Administrative Region
The Cordillera Administrative Region is a region in the Philippines composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, as well as Baguio City, the regional center. The Cordillera Administrative Region encompasses most of the areas within the Cordillera...
.
Impact
The earthquake caused damage within in an area of about 20,000 square kilometers, stretching from the mountains of the Cordillera Administrative RegionCordillera Administrative Region
The Cordillera Administrative Region is a region in the Philippines composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, as well as Baguio City, the regional center. The Cordillera Administrative Region encompasses most of the areas within the Cordillera...
and through the Central Luzon
Central Luzon
Central Luzon , also known as Region III , is an administrative division or region of the Republic of the Philippines, primarily serve to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plain of the island of Luzon , for administrative convenience...
region. The earthquake was strongly felt in Metropolitan Manila, Destroying many buildings and leading to panic and stampedes and ultimately three deaths in the National Capital Region, one of the lowest fatalities recorded in the wake of the tremor.
The Southern Tagalog (nowadays Regions 4A and 4B) and Bicol Regions also felt the quake, but with low casualty figures.
Baguio City, Benguet
The popular tourist destination of Baguio City, situated over 5000 feet above sea level, was among the areas hardest hit by the Luzon earthquake. The earthquake caused 28 collapsed buildings, including hotels, factories, government and university buildings, as well as many private homes and establishments.The quake destroyed electric, water and communication lines in the city. The main vehicular route to Baguio, Kennon Road
Kennon Road
Kennon Road is a roadway that connects to Baguio City with the town of Rosario, La Union in the Philippines. Begun in 1903 and opened for travel January 29, 1905, it was originally called the Benguet Road and was later named in honor of its builder, Col. Lyman Walter Vere Kennon of the U.S. Army...
, as well as other access routes to the mountain city were shut down due to landslides, and it took three days before enough landslide debris was cleared to allow access by road to the stricken city. Baguio City was isolated from the rest of the Philippines for the first 48 hours after the quake. Damage at Loakan Airport
Loakan Airport
Loakan Airport is an airport serving the general area of Baguio City, located in the province of Benguet in the Philippines...
rendered access to the city by air limited through helicopters. American & Philippine Air Force
Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas....
C-130s did evacuate many residents from this airport. Many city residents, as well as patients confined in hospital buildings damaged by the quake were forced to stay inside tents set up in public places, such as in Burnham Park
Burnham Park (Philippines)
Burnham Park is an urban park located at the heart of the City of Baguio, in the Philippines. It was named after the American architect and urban planner, Daniel Hudson Burnham who laid the plans for the city. Several stretch of roads around the park lead to Camp John Hay, a former recreational...
, or in the streets. Looting of department stores in the city was reported.
Among the first rescuers to arrive at the devastated city were miners from Benguet Corporation, who focused on rescue efforts at the collapsed Hotel Nevada. Teams sent by the Philippine government and by foreign governments and agencies likewise participated in the rescue and retrieval operations in Baguio City.
One of the more prominent buildings destroyed was the Hyatt Terraces Hotel
Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corporation , is an international operator of hotels.Hyatt Center is the headquarters for Hyatt corporation...
where at least eighty hotel employees and guests were killed. However, three hotel employees were pulled out alive after having been buried under the rubble for nearly two weeks, and after international rescue teams had abandoned the site convinced there were no more survivors. Luisa Mallorca and Arnel Calabia were extricated from the rubble 11 days after the quake, while hotel cook Pedrito Dy was recovered alive 14 days following the earthquake. All three survived in part by drinking their own urine and in Dy's case, rainwater. At that time, Dy's 14-day ordeal was cited as a world record for entombment underneath rubble.
The United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
was sponsoring a seminar at the Hotel Nevada when the tremor struck, causing the hotel to collapse. 27 of the seminar participants, including one American USAID official were killed in the quake. Among those who were pulled out alive from the ruins of the hotel was future Presidential candidate Sonia Roco
Sonia Roco
Sonia Cubillo Malasarte-Roco is the widow of Filipino senator and Presidential candidate Raul Roco. She ran for the Senate in the 2007 Philippine Midterm Elections under her late husband's party, Aksyon Demokratiko, which is allied with the broad opposition coalition called Genuine Opposition...
, wife of politician Raul Roco
Raul Roco
Raul Sagarbarria Roco was a political figure in the Philippines. He was the standard-bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko, which he founded in 1997 as a vehicle for his presidential bids in 1998 and 2004. He was a former senator and the Secretary of the Department of Education under the presidency of...
, who was pulled out from the rubble by miners after 36 hours.
Cabanatuan City
In Cabanatuan CityCabanatuan City
The City of Cabanatuan is a first class, urban city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is considered the commercial, industrial and educational hub of the province. According to the latest census, it has a population of 259,267 people in 45,424 households which makes it the largest...
, Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
, the tallest building in the city, a six-story concrete school building housing the Christian College of the Philippines, collapsed during the earthquake, which occurred during school hours. Around 154 people were killed at the CCP building. Unlike in Baguio City, local and international journalists were able to arrive at Cabanatuan City within hours after the tremor, and media coverage of the quake in its immediate aftermath centered on the collapsed school, where rescue efforts were hampered by the lack of heavy equipment to cut through the steel reinforcement of fallen concrete. Some of the victims who did not die in the collapse were found dead later from dehydration because they were not pulled out in time.
A 20-year old high school student, Robin Garcia, was later credited with rescuing at least eight students and teachers by twice returning under the rubble to retrieve survivors. Garcia was killed by an aftershock hours after the quake while trying to rescue more survivors, and he received several posthumous tributes, including medals of honor from the Boy Scouts of the Philippines
Boy Scouts of the Philippines
The Boy Scouts of the Philippines is the national Scout organization of the Philippines. Its mission is to imbue in the youth the love of God, country, and fellow men; to train young people to become responsible leaders; and to contribute in nation-building.The BSP was chartered under...
and President Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
's Grieving Heart Award for his heroic effort that caught the world's attention of the quake due to quick media coverage in the city, since most of the buildings were damaged save for the CCP building which was collapsed totally.
The Christian College of the Philippines was the only building in Cabanatuan City that collapsed during the earthquake. The city suffered about 363 casualties, (including 274 who were trapped ), with 154 of them dead. Most of the buildings here suffered moderately.
Dagupan City, Pangasinan
In Dagupan CityDagupan City
The City of Dagupan is a 1st class city in the Philippines. It is an independent component city of the province of Pangasinan. According to the latest census, Dagupan City has a population of 149,554 people in 25,921 households. Located on Lingayen Gulf on the island of Luzon, Dagupan is the...
, about 90 buildings in the city were damaged, and about 20 collapsed. Some structures sustained damage because liquefaction caused buildings to sink as much as 1 meter (39 inches). The earthquake caused a decrease in the elevation of the city and several areas were flooded. The city suffered 64 casualties of which 47 survived and 17 died. Most injuries were sustained during stampedes at a university building and a theater.
La Union
Five municipalities in La UnionLa Unión
La Union or La Unión may refer to:-Colombia:*La Unión, Antioquia*La Unión, Nariño*La Unión, Sucre*La Unión, Valle del Cauca-Peru:*La Unión Province, Peru...
were affected: Agoo
Agoo, La Union
Agoo is a 1st class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 57,952 people in 9,945 households....
, Aringay
Aringay, La Union
Aringay is a 3rd class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 43,438 people in 7,786 households....
, Caba
Caba, La Union
Caba is a 4th class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. Caba is the birth place of Diego Silang. According to the latest census, it has a population of 20,927 people in 3,880 households....
, Santo Tomas
Santo Tomas, La Union
Santo Tomas is a 4th class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 33,604 people in 5,956 households.-Barangays:Santo Tomas is politically subdivided into 24 barangays.* Ambitacay...
, and Tubao
Tubao, La Union
Tubao is a 4th class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 26,402 people in 4,649 households....
with a combined population of 132,208. Many buildings collapsed or were severely damaged. 100,000 families were displaced when two coastal villages sank due to liquefaction
Liquefaction
Liquefaction may refer to:* Liquefaction, the general process of becoming liquid* Soil liquefaction, the process by which sediments become suspended* Liquefaction of gases in physics, chemistry, and thermal engineering* Liquefactive necrosis in pathology...
. The province suffered many casualties and 32 of them died.
Patterns of damage
Based on preliminary analysis, cases and controls were similar in age and sex distribution. Similar proportions of cases and controls were inside (74% and 80%, respectively) and outside (26% and 20%, respectively) buildings during the earthquake. For persons who were inside a building, risk factors included building height, type of building material, and the floor level the person was on. Persons inside buildings with seven or more floors were 35 times more likely to be injured (odds ratio [OR]=34.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]=8.1-306.9). Persons inside buildings constructed of concrete or mixed materials were three times more likely to sustain injuries (OR=3.4; 95% CI=1.1-13.5) than were those inside wooden buildings. Persons at middle levels of multistory buildings were twice as likely to be injured as those at the top or bottom levels (OR=2.3; 95% CI=1.3-4.2).The earthquake caused different patterns of damage in different parts of Luzon Island. The mountain resort of Baguio was most severely affected, probably because it had the highest population density and many tall concrete buildings, which were more susceptible to seismic damage. Because all routes of communication, roads, and airport access were severed for several days, relief efforts were also the most difficult there. Relief efforts were further hampered by daily drenching, cold rains. Because Baguio is home to a large mining company and a military academy, experienced miners and other disciplined volunteers played a crucial role in early rescue efforts. Rescue teams arriving from Manila and elsewhere in Luzon were able to decrease mortality from major injuries. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, and specialized equipment and supplies were brought to the area, and victims were promptly treated. Patients requiring specialized care (e.g., hemodialysis) not available in the disaster area were airlifted to tertiary hospitals in metropolitan Manila. Outside of Baguio, destruction tended to be more diffuse. Damage was caused by landslides in the mountains and settling in coastal areas. Relief efforts in these areas were prompt and successful, partly because the areas remained accessible.
On July 19, 3 days after the earthquake, the priority of relief efforts shifted from treatment of injuries to public health concerns. For example, numerous broken pipes completely disrupted water systems, limiting the availability of potable water, and refugees who camped in open areas had no adequate toilet facilities. Early efforts at providing potable water by giving refugees chlorine granules were unsuccessful. Most potable water was distributed from fire engines, and DOH sanitarians chlorinated the water before it was distributed. Surveys of refugee areas showed few latrines; these had to be dug by the DOH.
Media coverage
ABS-CBNABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
and GMA-7 covered the aftermath of the killer earthquake as news reporters took place in separate locations. Newscasts such as ABS-CBN's TV Patrol and The World Tonight
The World Tonight (ABS-CBN)
The World Tonight is an English-language newscast of ABS-CBN. It is anchored by Angelo Castro, Jr. And Tina Monzon-Palma on weekdays, and by Gigi Grande on Saturdays and Ron Cruz on Sundays.-Airing history:...
, and GMA-7's GMA Balita
GMA Balita
GMA Balita is the former evening newscast of GMA Network from 1986 to 1995. It replaced News at Seven as the network's flagship news program, and was originally anchored by Mike Lacanilao, Rene Jose and Helen Vela...
and GMA Headline News
GMA Headline News
GMA Headline News is a now defunct late night English newscast of GMA Network from 1986 to 1992. It was anchored by Tina Monzon-Palma, Dong Puno and Jose Mari Velez, It was replaced by GMA Network News.-Anchors:*Tina Monzon-Palma...
started various news coverage headlines about the killer quake. Several radio stations are also followed the news coverage. Even foreign news outlets such as CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
and others started the same coverage from reporters.