158 Army engineers deployed for Visayas quake rescue ops

The Philippine Army has deployed 158 personnel from the 53rd Engineer Brigade to bolster search and rescue operations in Central Visayas following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

These troops are actively involved in affected areas across Cebu and neighboring provinces where collapsed structures, injuries, and fatalities have been reported.

The Army spokesperson, Colonel Louie Dema-ala, stated that the Army will continue to monitor the situation and deploy more troops if needed to support government relief efforts.

The deployed teams are equipped with an ambulance and essential equipment to provide immediate medical assistance to victims.

So far, Army teams have successfully rescued five individuals, aided five injured persons, and recovered four cadavers from the disaster zones.

Army personnel are currently operating in various locations including Medellin, Cebu City, Lapulapu City, Himamaylan in Negros Occidental, Allen in Northern Samar, Tacloban City, and Dingle in Iloilo.

These regions are among those most severely impacted by the earthquake and continue to experience aftershocks, which pose challenges to rescue and relief operations.