3 killed, 6 missing as storm enters Eastern Visayas
Three died and six persons are missing as Tropical Storm "Urduja" made landfall in Eastern Visayas on Saturday, the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.
NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said the council's member agencies are still verifying the reported deaths of the three individuals.
Jalad said one died due to a landslide in the province of Biliran, the other drowned in Leyte and the third is a fishermen from Layte whose body was found somewhere in Dinagat Island.
“We also recorded three missing (individuals). Three of them were fishermen from Eastern Samar and three others (were missing) because of the landslide in Biliran,” he said.
Jalad said four people injured were because of landslides in Biliran and Tacloban City in Leyte.
State weather forecaster Buddy Javier said Tropical Storm "Urduja" made landfall in the vicinity of San Policarpio, Eastern Samar around 1:30 pm Saturday.
As of 4pm, Urduja was in the vicinity of San Jose de Buan, Samar with winds of 75kph and gusts of up to 120 kph. It was moving west at the speed of 15 kph and central pressure of 995 hectopascals.
In its latest report, NDRRMC has recorded a total of 35,021 families or 158,166 persons were affected in Eastern Visayas and Caraga.
It noted 8,831 families or 38,846 persons were being served inside a total of 141 evacuation centers.
The NDRRMC also recorded a total of 92 areas in Western Visayas and Central Visayas that were flooded because of the tropical storm.
The cities and municipalities of Cabadbaran, Jabonga, Carmen, Kitcharao and Buenavista all in Agusan del Norte experienced power interruption because of topped electric posts were toppled.
Jalad said there were power outages in Eastern Samar because of fallen electric posts or transmission lines.
As of 8 am, the Philippine Coast Guard said a total of 11,332 passengers, 1,422 rolling cargoes, 68 vessels and 34 motor boats were stranded in different ports of National Capital Region, Bicol and Visayas regions.
As of 3 pm, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) said a total of 28 flights were cancelled because of bad weather. These include flights from Manila to Tacloban, Roxas, Caticlan, Masbate, Tablas, Naga, Siargao and vise versa.
Tropical storm warning signal number one is up over Southern Quezon, Marinduque, Southern part of Occidental Mindoro, Southern part of Oriental Mindoro, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Burias Island, Northern Palawan, Cuyo Island, Calamian Group of Islands, rest od Iloilo, rest of Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Northern part of Negros Oriental Northern Cebu and Leyte.
Signal number two is raised over Sorsogon, Masbate, Ticao Island, Romblon, Northern Samar, Northern part of Eastern Samar, Northern part of Samar, Biliran, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Northern Iloilo.
Javier said based on their forecast, Urduja may cross the province of Masbate and the area between Aklan and Romblon before it leaves the Philippine area of responsibility by Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Robina Asido/DMS
