8 injured, structures damaged after quake hits Leyte

Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, January 16) — At least eight residents sustained minor injuries due to fallen debris after a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck Leyte on Sunday, disaster officials reported.

Some houses, churches, and roads sustained cracks after a tectonic quake hit Leyte past 8 p.m. Sunday.

Leyte Mayor Arnold James Ysidoro declared the suspension of classes in the municipality on Monday to give school officials time to check for damage in the facilities.

The mayor also created a team composed of personnel from the Municipal Engineering Office, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, Rural Health Unit, and local government department heads to check the structural integrity of all homes and buildings.

Ysidoro appealed to residents to wait for the go-signal from the inspection team before they return to their homes or enter a building.

Leyte-based correspondent Wil Mark Amazona contributed to this report.