By Alec Go
At least nine individuals were reported dead and 11 others are missing during the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Maring as of Tuesday (Oct. 12) morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported.
NDRRMC Exec. Dir. Ricardo Jalad said in the Laging Handa briefing that the deaths were due to the landslides in Benguet province, and the flooding in Claveria, Cagayan and Narra, Palawan.
“Malawak ang epekto niya, halos dito sa Palawan, sa Northern Luzon, at iyon naman ay nakikita natin base sa forecast na ibinigay ng PAGASA [Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration],” he said.
“Mula kahapon ay ang dami nang napadala na mga emergency alert and warning messages tungkol sa mga malalakas na pag-ulan,” he added.
The NDRRMC chief said three of the 11 missing individuals were reported following a landslide incident in Baguio City, two others were in a landslide in Ambiong, La Trinidad, and another individual from a similar incident in Itogon.
Flooding incidents brought about by heavy rains also left four missing individuals in Narra, Palawan, and one other person in Badoc, Ilocos Norte.
Jalad said some evacuees may still remain in evacuation centers as floodwaters have not yet subsided.
Based on the NDRRMC situational report, there are 478 families or 1,638 individuals affected by Severe Tropical Storm Maring in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Cagayan Valley, and Mimaropa as of 6:00 a.m. today.
A total of 850 out of the 889 displaced persons are currently staying in evacuation centers.
Meanwhile, 38 road sections and 10 bridges were affected, of which 29 are not passable to all vehicle types. At least 20 towns had power outages and interruptions in Regions 1, 2, and Mimaropa, while one experienced water supply interruption in Mimaropa.
The government has yet to release the estimated worth of damages on agriculture and infrastructures. – bny
