Manila: Tropical storm Nanmadol (locally known as Mina) left 16 dead, 21 injured, and eight people missing, many of whom were presumed dead, as it slowly moved away from Philippine territory, civil defence and weather bureau officials said.
As of 4pm local time, weather forecasters estimated Nanmadol at 340km northwest of Basco, Batanes, the northernmost part of the country, with maximum sustained winds of 95kph near the center and gustiness of up to 120kph. The storm, was moving west-northwest at 7kph and is expected to be 500km northwest of Basco by afternoon.
The local weather bureau warned of strong to gale-force winds expected to affect the seaboards of Luzon island. "Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves," the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its advisory.
According to Benito Ramos, director of the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), Nanmadol — the strongest cyclone to hit the Philippines this year — has affected 664 villages, 95 towns and six cities in 16 provinces.
Moderate to occasionally heavy rains and strong winds brought about by the storm triggered 42 emergency incidents such as: 13 flashfloods, seven landslides, nine tornadoes, five sea mishaps, one vehicular accident, six collapsed structures, and one soil erosion, the NDRRMC said in its situation report.
Three major power transmission lines — La Trinidad-Bulalacao, Solana-Tabuk and Tuguegarao-Magapit-Camalanuigan-Sta. Ana — tripped on Saturday morning, knocking out power in many areas in northern Luzon. As of 6pm local time on Monday, a total of 11 bridges and 31 road sections remain closed to traffic.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development sent out tonnes of relief items, including food, toiletries, clothes and medicine and standby funds to areas affected by the storm. The Red Cross and the coast guard has also pre-positioned its rescue and disaster response teams.
All coast guard districts were also placed on a "high state of preparedness" and had prohibited ships and boats from setting sail.
Two coast guard rescue ships and a reconaissance aircraft were despatched to help in the search for 23 fishermen in waters off Infanta town in Quezon province and in Pangasinan province.
Casualties
Mark Lester Agdeppa, 3, died after he slipped into a drainage canal in Ilocos Sur province while Andres Calaro. 82, drowned in the adjacent province of Ilocos Norte after he slipped into an irrigation canal.
The two were among the eight casualties listed by the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council in the northern Luzon region. Six people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed in landslides in Benguet province.
In Quezon City, a 23-year-old man died after he was pinned down by a collapsed wall. Five others were injured. NDRRMC's Ramos has ordered all regional civil defence officials to extend 10,000 pesos (Dh864) to the next of kin of each casualty.
