AUTHORITIES yesterday reported five additional fatalities from tropical storm “Dante,” bringing to eight the death toll from the storm which is now heading out of the Philippine area of responsibility.
Four of the eight deaths were confirmed by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council based in Camp Aguinaldo.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Dante was some 255 km west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur as of 3 p.m. yesterday, moving northwestward at 25 kph.
PAGASA said Dante was projected to weaken into a tropical depression and dissipate on Saturday.
Three of the NDRRMC-confirmed deaths — a one year-old boy buried in a landslide in Davao de Oro and two drowning victims in Davao del Sur and South Cotabato – were reported by the agency last Wednesday.
Yesterday, the NDRRMC reported a fourth fatality — a 55-year-old man who drowned in Norala town in South Cotabato.
The Office of Civil Defense-Mimaropa region reported two deaths – Arnel Emabanecido, 19, of San Jose town Occidental Mindoro and Jisson Amado, 28, of Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro, who were hit by lighting on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The OCD-Mimaropa said the two deaths are subject to verification by higher authorities, if they can be attributed directly to Dante.
In Leyte, Roel Montesa of the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council said two died of drowning in the province. He identified the fatalities as Joselita Montemor, 51, and eight-year-old Brando Salino.
At least 15 were reported missing — eight fishermen from Romblon, four fishermen from Capiz, two children (aged seven and two) from Leyte, and a man in his 40s from Davao de Oro.
The NDRRMC said about 9,800 families or around 45,400 persons were affected by Dante in 89 barangays in the Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga regions.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said government has released P1.12 million worth of food and non-food relief assistance to the affected families, of which P334,714 came from DSWD and P786,050 came from local government units.
Dante, the fourth tropical cyclone to hit the country this year, dumped heavy rains in parts of Visayas and Mindanao that resulted in floods and landslides in some areas. — With Noel Talacay and Jocelyn Montemayor
