Fatalities bring to 25 death toll from ‘Agaton’
AT least 25 persons were reported dead due to tropical depression “Agaton,” 22 of them from landslides that occurred Sunday in several barangays in Baybay City in Leyte.
Sixteen of the fatalities were buried in the landslides in Barangay Mailhi, three in Barangay Kantagnos, two in Barangay Maypatag, and one in Barangay Bunga, said Lt. Col. Joemen Collado, Baybay City police chief.
Collado said six more persons were reported missing but “most probably there are more,” adding search and rescue operations were ongoing.
Collado said the number of fatalities was based on information gathered by the local police and by the local disaster risk reduction and management office.
“We retrieved them yesterday and today. We recovered them from four barangays,” said Collado.
Collado said Leyte experienced heavy rains on Sunday and only light rains and not-so-strong winds yesterday.
The 22 fatalities reported by Collado is on top of three fatalities reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) — two in Monkayo, Davao de Oro and one in Cateel, Davao Oriental.
NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal also said the NDRRMC is verifying three additional deaths in Negros Oriental.
Timbal was referring to information provided by Jay Abing, chief of the Basay municipal disaster risk reduction and management council office in Negros Oriental, who reported three deaths in the town.
Abing said a father and his four-year-old daughter were crossing a creek in Barangay Bongalonan on Sunday when they slipped and were swept away by strong currents. He said the two were on their way home at that time, after attending a birthday party. Abing said the father’s cousin tried to rescue the victims but also died.
Abing said it was slippery in the area at that time due to moderate rains.
He said the incident may not be related to Agaton, noting the province was not placed under any under a tropical cyclone warning signal.
PAGASA earlier said the northern portion of Negros Oriental had been expected to experience moderate to heavy rains due to Agaton.
“In Negros, our monitoring is continuing because there were supposed to be additional (deaths). We have no official information about it,” said Timbal.
SECOND LANDFALL
Agaton made its second landfall in Basey, Samar yesterday afternoon, several hours after it weakened into tropical depression, from tropical storm.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said as of 4 p.m yesterday, the center of Agaton was “almost stationary” in Basey. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 60 kph.
In its 5 p.m bulletin yesterday, PAGASA said eight areas were under Signal No. 1. These are Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, northeastern portion of Cebu including Camotes Island, and the eastern portion of Bohol.
Agaton is forecast to be in the Philippine Sea on Tuesday night and interact with tropical storm “Malakas” (international name).
Malakas was forecast to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Monday night or early Tuesday and will be given the local name Basyang.
“Its (Malakas) duration within the PAR region will likely be short,” said PAGASA, adding Malakas will exit PAR on Tuesday night or early morning Wednesday.
“On the forecast intensity, Agaton may further weaken into a remnant low by Wednesday evening as it becomes assimilated within the circulation of Malakas. However, due to land interaction, further weakening into a remnant low before emerging over the Philippine Sea is possible,” PAGASA said.
AFFECTED FAMILIES
The NDRRMC said 86,515 families or 136,390 individuals were affected by Agaton in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga regions and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Of the number, the NDRRMC said 3,717 families or 13,049 individuals are staying in 71 evacuation centers.
The NDRRMC said 25,485 families were also displaced and are with their families.
TImbal said local government units have enough food supplies for the evacuees. He said the national government is ready to intervene in the distribution of food packs if necessary.
Timbal said the NDRRMC reported 195 incidents of flooding were reported in the affected regions. He said most of the floods have receded as of yesterday morning.
Josefina Titong, management officer of the Eastern Samar provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, said they have yet to receive reports on casualties and damage from Agaton which made landfall in Calicoan Island in Guiuan town on Sunday morning.
She said 826 individuals have been evacuated from risk areas as of Sunday. Rey Gozon, assistant director of the Office of Civil Defense-Eastern Visayas, said 15,120 families or 66,485 individuals were affected in Eastern Visayas, of which 1,773 or 3,969 persons are in evacuation centers.
Gozon said 70 barangays were affected by flooding and six landslide incidents were reported yesterday morning.
He said power interruptions were also reported in Southern Leyte, Samar and some areas in Eastern Samar, and water service interruption in parts of Southern Leyte, Leyte and Eastern Samar.
In Cebu, Mayor Michael Rama declared the city under state of calamity on Sunday due to Agaton.
Rama said he has also ordered the suspension of work and classes in the city yesterday.
Director Irene Dumlao, spokeswoman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, said that as of 6 p.m. of April 10, P15.121 million worth of family food packs or 22,735 packs have been distributed in Samar, Biliran, and Leyte. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
