Manila: Fatalities resulting from the onslaught of storm Son-Tinh has reached 24 as of Saturday, as disaster risk management officials said as the turbulent weather had completely exited the Philippines.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said most of the deaths caused by the storm were from Central Visayas at Southern Luzon that suffered heavy flooding. Other affected areas were Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas, and Southern Mindanao.
Benito Ramos, NDRRMC Executive Director, said in radio interviews that the casualties from Son-Tinh (Philippine name “Ofel”) included 19 hurt while six were people were reported missing.
In the island of Romblon in the Visayas, teachers, Eva Fajutag and Grace Mallorca drowned when a boat carrying them capsized. Fajutag is a school superintendent while Mallorca is a school administration officer.
Son-Tinh had affected 14,693 families, a total of 66,768 people. Some 3,382 families — 15,243 people — are currently staying in 97 evacuation centres.
Southern Luzon and the Bicol Region suffered extensive damage with property loss initially estimated to reach P36.6 million (Dh3.25 million) with least 22 houses totally destroyed and 95 partially damaged.
Reports reaching Manila said extensive flooding on the tracks caused a train to suffer derailment on Friday in Sariaya in Quezon province, Southern Luzon, resulting in several injuries to passengers but there were no fatalities.
According to the NDRRMC said 12 cities and towns in Southern Luzon, including Batangas, Cavite and Laguna, remained flooded as of Saturday morning.
The entire province of Oriental Mindoro east of Luzon island was placed under a state of calamity due to extensive flooding while in Zamboanga Sibugay in Mindanao, the town of Buug and Imelda were also declared likewise.
The storm had also affected sea and air transport to various parts of the country. Ramos said a total 11,804 passengers was affected Southern Luzon, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Bicol and Northern Mindanao.
The Philippines is linked by a system of inter-island ferries where entire busloads of people and cargoes can be loaded.
NDRRMC said Son-Tinh had affected 36 flights by three local carriers.
Based on the weather bulletin issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Son-Tinh had exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday on its way to Vietnam.
