'Seniang' toll: 15 boatmen missing, 90,000 homeless

At least 15 boatmen in Boracay Island and in Caticlan town, Aklan province, were reported missing in the wake of typhoon "Seniang" Sunday night, dzRH radio reported Monday. Sketchy reports said the fishermen had slept in their pumpboats, which had apparently been washed away when "Seniang" passed through the Western Visayas region. Elsewhere in Aklan, dzRH radio reported that at least 48 houses were destroyed, while some 20 families were evacuated because of the typhoon. On the other hand, more than 90,000 were rendered homeless as "Seniang" lashed at five regions before starting its exodus to the South China Sea late Sunday night. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) also reported that several areas in the Visayas remained without power after the typhoon damaged power facilities. As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the NDCC said some 17,788 families or 91,842 persons were affected in Southern Luzon, Bicol, and Western, Central and Eastern Visayas. Of these, 17,291 families or 89,176 persons were staying in 55 evacuation centers. "Seniang" also stranded about 5,100 passengers, 41 buses, 84 trucks, 105 light vehicles, 94 seagoing vessels and 399 rolling cargoes in various ports of Southern Luzon, Bicol and Visayas. At least 406 houses were destroyed and 1,262 more damaged in Magsaysay, Oriental Mindoro. Another 16 houses were destroyed and 159 more damaged in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. In Romblon, big waves and strong winds damaged a power barge in Carmen village in, San Agustin town. But the Coast Guard declared everything under control after inspecting the barge. before "Seniang" exited, it left many areas without power. Panay was 62 percent without power, while a blackout was reported in Pilar town and Roxas City in Capiz due to tripping of National Transmission Co. (TransCo) lines. Except for Southern Leyte, the entire Eastern Visayas region remained without power. Only one percent of Samar was with electricity, even as 87 percent of power in Leyte has been restored. Electricity in Cebu was 100 percent restored as of Sunday night. At least one road section in Southern Leyte remained temporarily closed to vehicular traffic due to the typhoon. Reports of an oil spill in Carmen village in San Agustin, Romblon, has been belied by the NDCC, however. - GMANews.TV