Death toll from Lando rises to 12; nearly 300,000 displaced

Published October 20, 2015 10:30am

(Updated 11:31 a.m.) Twelve people have been confirmed killed and thousands of residents in Luzon have been displaced due to the onslaught of Typhoon Lando, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported Tuesday.

In a press briefing, NDRMMC spokesperson Romina Marasigan said the fatalities were from Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Benguet, Ifugao, Abra, and Metro Manila.

Marasigan added that seven people have been confirmed injured from Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, and Quezon City.

She said that as of Tuesday, a total of 60,170 families or 290,797 people were displaced in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, Bicol, National Capital Region and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Of the said number, 15,603 families or 70,503 people are staying in 376 evacuation centers in the seven regions while 27,142 families or 132,621 people are outside evacuation centers.

Marasigan also said the initial estimated cost of damage due to Lando was P183 million, of which P182.7 million is in agriculture and P520,000, in infrastructure in Regions 1, 2, V and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

At least 1,693 houses were damaged, of which 184 were totally destroyed and 1,509 were partially damaged.

A total of 1,509 passengers, 45 vessles, 56 motorized bancas, and 156 rolling cargoes were also stranded due to rough sea condition.

Flooding incidents

The NDRRMC said in its 6 a.m. report that it received 497 reports of flooding incidents in Pangasinan, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Cagayan and Benguet.

It said that a total of 73 road sections and 24 bridges remain impassable due to flooding and landslides in Regions 2, 3, Bicol and CAR.

The NDRRMC also reported that province-wide power outages are being experienced in Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Kalinga and Mountain Province.

It added that a total of three cities and 55 municipalities in Regions 1, 2,3, 4-A, 4-B and CAR experienced power outages.

Tropical storm

Meawhile, weather bureau PAGASA said that as of 10 a.m., Typhoon Lando has been downgraded as a tropical storm, and is now slowly moving toward Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands.

The cyclone was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 100 kph. It was moving northeast at 4 kph.

The cyclone made landfall over Aurora province early Sunday and was forecast to remain within the Philippine Area of Responsibility until October 25, Sunday. — ALG/RSJ, GMA News

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