Filtered By: Topstories
News

Helen toll: 2 dead, P7M in damage


MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Helen (international codename: Kalmaegi) has crossed northern Taiwan and continued to move farther away from the country, leaving two people dead and P7 million in damages to property, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said. Anthony T. Golez, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) officer-in-charge and NDCC deputy administrator, said that as of 6 a.m. Friday, there were two reported casualties in Mountain Province and Ilocos Norte, and one injured person, also in Ilocos Norte. Mr. Golez said that damages caused by the typhoon amounted to P7 million, which included a P5.7-million damage to infrastructure, and a P1.3-million damage to agriculture. He said Helen affected 7,296 families or 31,129 people in Regions I (Ilocos) and II (Cagayan). However, Mr. Golez said the typhoon did not cause power interruptions or affected communication lines. The total amount of assistance provided by local government unit to affected constituents is P138,744. Meanwhile, a 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Eastern Samar at 6:12 p.m. on Thursday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) bulletin. The undersea tremor was located 60 kilometers east of Guiauan town at a depth of 52.5 kilometers. The Philippines sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. — J.F.S. Valdez, BusinessWorld
LOADING CONTENT