NZ cops identify 5th Pinoy fatality in quake

The New Zealand (NZ) police identified on Tuesday the fifth Filipino victim — Valquin Descalsota Bensurto, 23 — who died in a magnitude-6.3 quake that hit Christchurch in New Zealand on February 21. Bensurto was one of six fatalities identified in a police news release news release. The other fatalities on the list included:

• Marina Arai, 19, of Japan;
• Adrienne Meredith, 36, of Christchurch;
• Yoko Suzuki, 31, of Japan;
• Tao Wang, 29, of China, and
• Didem Yaman, 31, of Turkey

The total number of identified fatalities is now 129, the New Zealand police said. The four Filipino fatalities the police identified earlier are:

• Lalaine Collado Agatep, 38;
• Erica Avir Reyes Nora, 20;
• Jewel Jose Francisco, 26, and
• Ivy Jane Cabunilas, 33.

The six other missing Filipinos are:

• Jessie Lloyd Redoble;
• John Kristoffer Chua;
• Ezra Mae Medalle;
• Emmabel Anoba;
• Mary Louise Anne Amantillo; and
• Rhea Mae Sumalpong

— LBG/VVP, GMA News