AlHijjah 15, 1434, Oct 20, 2013, SPA -- The death toll rose to 185 Sunday from the worst earthquake to hit the Philippines in two decades as authorities began the task of rehabilitating devastated areas. According to dpa, most of the victims were killed in Bohol province, the epicenter of Tuesday's magnitude 7.2-earthquake, where 172 were confirmed killed. At least nine were still missing and feared dead. Thirteen people were killed in the nearby provinces of Cebu and Siquijor, while more than 500 were injured, the national disaster relief agency said. Agency chief Eduardo Del Rosario said the biggest challenge was the repair and reconstruction of houses damaged by the quake that affected more than 3.5 million people. Nearly 37,000 homes were partially or totally damaged, most of them in Bohol, the disaster agency said. "The number of damaged houses is the biggest challenge because hundreds of thousands of people resided in these homes," Del Rosario said. "We must provide tents in the meantime for the displaced residents who are sleeping outside," he added. Damage to infrastructure has been estimated at more than 13 million dollars. Electricity and water supplies were disrupted, while many roads and bridges were impassable due to cracks and landslides.
