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Yolanda on the way out, 56 fatalities reported


(Updated 4:55 a.m.) Official government figures have yet to be released but Super Typhoon Yolanda, said to be the most powerful cyclone to ever make landfall, reportedly left at least 56 dead as it moved across the central Philippines Friday. According to a report by GMA News' Jiggy Manicad, aired on Friday evening's episode of "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho", at least 53 people were dead in Tacloban City and Palo town in Leyte. The province was one of the worst hit by the typhoon. "Doon lang sa aming puwesto sa may Tacloban City ay na-anod sa may coastal area yung 11 na ka-tao kaagad. Isa po doon ay bata," Manicad said. He added that he and his team felt like they were "inside a washing machine" as 200 kph winds blew for four hours. Manicad and his team walked for six hours to link up with GMA reporter Love Añover in Palo, Leyte. "Doon sa mga nadaanan namin, meron ding mga labi ng mga biktima sa tabing kalye," he said. Manicad and his team passed at least 10 bodies in a school on the way to Palo and another 12 dead in "a church near Tacloban." He also mentioned a pier where at least 20 people who washed ashore were lined up. Añover had taken shelter in a church in Palo town earlier in the day, but strong winds blew off the roof of the church. That church now housed at least 20 fatalities who were washed up on shore or were found dead by the road, Manicad said. "Isa sa mga pinoproblema ngayon ay wala ring mga punerarya, sila'y nasira," he said. The municipal hall of Palo has also been temporarily converted into a shelter for injured residents and those displaced by the typhoon. Manicad said Palo was "totally isolated" because of felled trees and electric posts blocking the road. He said the town is low on food, water, and medicine. Three other fatalities were earlier identified. Westward Meanwhile, Super Typhoon Yolanda weakened slightly and continued its westward movement towards the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in its Friday, 11 p.m. weather bulletin. As of 12 a.m. Saturday, the center of Yolanda was 100 kms west-northwest of Coron, Palawan. The storm was moving west-northwest at 35 kph. It had maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near the center, with gustiness of up to 230 kph. Estimated rainfall amount within the typhoon's 400 km diameter out to 600 kms is from 10.0 - 20.0 mm per hour (heavy - intense). Yolanda is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility around 2 p.m. Saturday, and be 760 km west of Iba, Zambales by that evening. As of Friday evening Storm Signal No. 4 was up over extreme northern Palawan, including the Calamian Group of Islands. Storm Signal No. 3 was up over: - the rest of northern Palawan including Puerto Princesa City, and - Occidental Mindoro. Storm Signal No. 2 was up over: - Oriental Mindoro, - Lubang Island, - Romblon - Cuyo Island, - Aklan, - Antique, - Iloilo, and - Capiz. Public Storm Signal No. 1 was up over: - Masbate, - Marinduque, - Batangas, - Burias Island - Negros Provinces, - Guimaras, and - Cebu. Storm Signals elsewhere, including that over Metro Manila were lowered. State of calamity Two towns in Iloilo province have declared a state of calamity due to damage caused by Typhoon Yolanda, state-run Philippine Information Agency reported Friday evening. As this developed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported Friday evening that nearly 750,000 people had been preemptively evacuated from their homes due to the threat from Yolanda. In its 6 p.m. update, the NDRRMC said that the 151,910 families or 748,572 people were brought to 664 evacuation centers in 31 provinces in southern Luzon, Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, Region 10, and Caraga. The report added that Five roads in Bicol and Eastern Visayas were not passable due to floods or uprooted trees. Meanwhile, 3,093 passengers, 155 vessels, 707 rolling cargoes and 13 motor bancas were stranded in Southern Luzon, Bicol, and Western, Central and Eastern Visayas. Also, the NDRRMC reported power interruptions in: - San Francisco, Camotes, Cebu - Torrijos and Buenavista, Marinduque - Naujan, Oriental Mindoro - Bicol (intermittent power) - Parts of danao City and Tuburan town in Cebu - Albay, Masbate, Catanduanes, parts of Camarines Sur and Sorsogon - Leyte, Eastern Samar, and - Camiguin. The Laguna Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management office reported at about 11 p.m. Friday that electricity had been restored in the province. The NDRRMC also said there was no mobile mobile phone signals in Central and Eastern Visayas. Isolated The Philippine Information Agency also reported Friday night that at least 24 areas in northern Cebu were left isolated by the typhoon. These areas included Bogo, Daanbantayan and Bantayan islands. These areas also suffered from power and communication outages. Meanwhile, the PIA reported that Pilar and Ubay dams in Bohol had overflowed, but gave no further details. Cebu and Bohol are still reeling from the effects of a magnitude-7.2 quake that devastated Central Visayas last Oct. 15. In Cavite province, the Niog Road in Bacoor City was not passable to all types of vehicles due to a "toppled structure" that blocked the road. The structure, made of galvanized iron sheets and scaffolding bars, also took down a secondary-service power line, the Bacoor Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. "Clearing operations would start after the supply of the secondary/service electrical wire is cut-off," the Bacoor disaster council said. Motorists were advised to take alternate routes. — JDS/DVM, GMA News
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