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Death toll from 'Pepeng' rises to 264; dozens more missing


The death toll from tropical depression “Pepeng" rose to 264 Saturday afternoon as rescue workers dug up more bodies of missing people, reports from police and relief agencies said. Of the total, 222 were killed in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), mostly from landslides, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP). Chief Inspector Tessie Sarmiento, spokesperson of the CAR police, said at least 141 people have so far been confirmed dead in Benguet province, while the figure in Baguio City rose to 50. Twenty-eight bodies were recovered in Mt. Province, and one each in Abra and Ifugao. The figure is expected to rise further as total of 53 people have yet to be found in Baguio, Benguet and Mt. Province, police said. [See: Rescuers rush to save Cordillera landslide victims] The number of injured people due to floodwaters and landslides totaled 71, with 48 coming from Benguet, 13 from Baguio City, six from Mt. Province, and two from Abra. [See: Trapped Luzon flooding victims look to sky for help] A report of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said 34 more deaths were reported from La Union, five in Pangasinan and one in Ilocos Norte. Pepeng-related deaths earlier reported include two in Camarines Norte in the Bicol region, and one in Nueva Ecija. On Sunday, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is scheduled to visit Baguio and Benguet. On Saturday she was in the Cagayan Valley region to inspect typhoon damage. [See: Storm signals lifted as ‘Pepeng’ moves farther away]
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Roads and damage Baguio remained isolated on Saturday as the three major roads that link the upland resort city to lowland provinces— Kennon Road, Marcos Highway and Naguilian Road — were closed by landslides. Buad Bridge and Manila North Road Km 211+109 at the boundary of La Union and Pangasinan collapsed. In Pangasinan, motorists going north were advised to take the following detour routes: Camiling Road going to Dagupan, Lingayen, and Binmaley; and Urdaneta and Binalonan going to Manaoag. In Zambales, floodwaters have subsided in the towns of Iba, San Miguel, and Botolan. Vehicles can now pass through the Carael Highway. Preliminary reports of damage caused by Pepeng totaled P5.08 billion, including P1.08-worth of infrastructure, and P3.99-billion worth of agricultural products. Damage to private property amounted to P2.77 billion. Some 20,700 houses were damaged, 1,796 of them destroyed and 18,196 partially damaged, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC). Even at nightfall on Saturday, rescuers were still digging up for possible survivors in landslide-hit villages in the Cordilleras. Relief operations, meanwhile, were in full blast in evacuation centers all over Pangasinan and other places where tens of thousands of people have been displaced by floods. Power failure continued to be experienced in some areas in Ilocos Norte due to damaged cable wires and fallen trees. Power interruption was noted in the towns of Santa, Magsingal, San Juan, Cabugao, Sinait, Lidlidda and San Emilio. At least one major road and 51 secondary roads and 11 bridges had been affected due to floods, landslides and mudslides. - GMANews.TV

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