Reported deaths due to Odette now exceed 400, says NDRRMC

The reported death toll due to Typhoon Odette has climbed to 405, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Friday.

In a press conference, NDRRMC chief Ricardo Jalad said the victims died from drowning, getting hit by uprooted trees, trapped under debris of collapsed infrastructures, and buried in landslides.

He added that 82 people were reported missing and 1,147 were reported injured.

A total of 4,457,846 people or 1,139,148 families were affected by the typhoon in around 6,000 barangays. At least 506,626 were displaced from their homes, some of them now staying in 1,325 evacuation centers.

The most affected areas were Palawan, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Southern Leyte, Leyte, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte, the NDRRMC said.

At least 532,096 houses were damaged — 362,853 partially and 169,243 totally. A total of P16,715,368,482 worth of damage in infrastructure and P6,683,206,250in agriculture were also reported.

Power supply has been restored to 205 of 284 cities and municipalities that encountered power service interruption as a result of the typhoon.

Water supply has been restored in only one of the 18 cities and municipalities that reported water supply interruption.

Meanwhile, communication lines are also restored in 79 of 165 cities and municipalities experiencing signal problems.

Two of seven affected airports are still non-operational. All 129 affected seaports are still non-operational.

Siargao

Meanwhile several residents in Siargao Island have continued to rebuild their homes in celebration of the New Year’s Eve after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette.

According to Nico Waje’s 24 Oras report on Friday, infrastructures, houses, and motor bancas were severely devastated by Odette in Sta. Monica, Siargao Island.

The residents said it took almost two weeks before they started to rebuild their homes.

“May bigas man, may sardinas, ayun na lang ang ano namin ng New Year, kasi wala naman kaming makuhanan hindi naman kami makapaghanapbuhay,” a displaced resident said.

(If there is rice, sardines, that will be our meal for New Year, because we have no livelihood.)

They also appealed for construction materials to rebuild their homes for the start of the new year.

In General Luna, Siargao Island, some residents received concrete boards and construction materials for their homes.

“Malaking tulong, nagpasalamat po kami sa sponsor sa binigay sa amin,” a resident said.

(This is a big help. We are grateful to the sponsor who gave these to us.) —With a report from Richa Noriega/LBG/KG, GMA News