NDCC: ‘Basyang’ death toll jumps to 53

The death toll from tropical cyclone "Basyang" (Conson) has continued to rise, with at least 53 confirmed dead as of early Saturday. In its 5 a.m. report, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) also said 85 people remained missing while 29 were injured. Of the 53 dead, 27 were from Southern Luzon, 17 from Central Luzon, and nine from Bicol. The injured included 23 in Southern Luzon, four in Bicol and two in Central Luzon. Still missing are 46 in Bicol, 32 in Southern Luzon, and six in Central Luzon, and one in Western Visayas. At least 45,470 families or 225,495 people were affected in 649 villages in 12 cities and 84 towns in 12 provinces in Central and Southern Luzon, Metro Manila, and Bicol. The NDCC said that as of Saturday, 1,096 families or 5,395 people are still staying in 31 evacuation centers. Some 3,137 houses were destroyed and 22,340 damaged, it added. Damage to infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and schools was estimated at P188.073 million as of early Saturday. The NDCC said "Basyang" caused several maritime incidents involving at least 40 fishing boats, four tankers, five vessels, and seven motor bancas. Impassable roads Still impassable in Southern Luzon are:

• Sinisian Bridage along Palico-Balayan-Batangas Road, due to scoured slope protection and two road slips near Diokno Highway
• Tayabas-Mainit-Mauban Road (road slip)
• Spanish Arc Bridge in Palayan village in Liliw, Laguna (washed out)
• Detour road, slope protection and road shoulder in Majayjay Provincial Road in Majayjay, Laguna (washed out)
• Manus Bailey Bridge I along Junction Labangan-Murtha-Iriron Road in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, passable only to motorcycles and tricycles.

Still impassable in Bicol is the Inalmasinan Spillway Km 148+650 along Caramoan, Catanduanes Road. Damaged schools Education officials said 68 schools were damaged in schools in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Bicol and Metro Manila, with the damage estimated at P43.695 million. Parang Elementary School in Camarines Norte is being used as an evacuation center, with three families housed there. Agriculture damage Agriculture in Bataan, Rizal, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes suffered damage from "Basyang." The Agriculture Department said 1,060 hectares including 493 hectares rice, 87 hectares corn and 480 hectares high-value commercial crops were affected. It said the losses in rice alone amounted to P1 million, although 453 hectares have a chance of recovery. Meanwhile, The Health Department in Bicol is pre-positioning body bags amid search-and-rescue operations for missing people. For its part, the Health Department in Southern Luzon has distributed medicines and cadaver bags to affected cities and towns. — LBG, GMANews.TV