'Juaning' threatens north Luzon; death toll now at 20

Tropical Storm Juaning (Nock-Ten) now threatens northern Luzon as it changed course before noon Wednesday. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the storm no longer poses a direct threat to Metro Manila and its chances of intensifying into a typhoon has become slimmer than earlier forecast. "Pinag-iingat po namin ang mga nasa northern Luzon dahil kayo na po ang sunod tatamaan ng bagyo," said Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul in an interview on GMA News Tv's "Balitanghali" Wednesday noon. In its 11 a.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said Juaning "slightly intensified" before making landfall over Casiguran, Aurora Wednesday morning. But Yumul assured the public the storm is unlikely to get too strong as it moved northwest at 15 kph. Juaning was spotted 40 kilometers southwest of Casiguran in Aurora, packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph. Juaning is expected to cross northern Luzon Wednesday, and will be 160 kilometers west southwest of Laoag City by Thursday morning. By Friday morning, it will be 660 km west of Basco, Batanes. Meanwhile, PAGASA said the number of areas placed under Storm Signal No. 2 has climbed to 22 as the storm moves north.

Death toll The death toll from Juaning has already climbed to 20 with the addition of five fatalities from a landslide in Camarines Norte, including a one-year-old baby. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos said the latest fatalities were members of the Casero family living in Barangay Sta. Rosa, Jose Panganiban town. The victims were identified as father Alfredo, 62; mother Ofelia 66; Richard, 23; Marian, 18; and one-year-old Edgar. The other 15 fatalities reported earlier are: Albay

• Siblings Josh Corteza, 4; Nicole Corteza, 7; and Bernard Corteza, 9, who all died from a landslide at Barangay Gabon in Polangui town in Albay;
• Demetrio Nace and his three-year-old child, killed when a tree fell on their house at Barangay Masicao in Pioduran town in Albay;
• Verta Dacuba, who died from electrocution at Purok 3 in Tiwi town, also in Albay;
• One person from Daraga, Albay;

Catanduanes

• Noel Angeles, 49, killed after being hit by a falling electric post at Peñafrancia village in Panganiban town in Catanduanes;
• Two from Baras, Catanduanes.

Camarines Sur - one person in Tinambac, Camarines Sur. Cavite - two people Marinduque - one person Iloilo - one person On Wednesday, Ramos also said that nine people remained missing, while 31 others have sustained injuries due to the bad weather. Thirty people have already been rescued in Eastern Samar (six people), Polilio Island in Quezon (15 people), and Marinduque (nine fishermen). According to the NDRRMC, almost 130,000 families of 645,137 people have already been affected by Juaning. A total of 533 passengers were stranded in Mamburao (44), Batangas (300), Puerto Real (39), and Lucena (150). In Cagayan, 22 passengers were stranded in Aparri. In its 11 a.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said Juaning "slightly intensified" before making landfall over Casiguran, Aurora Wednesday morning. Areas under Signal No. 2 are:

• Aurora
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Ilocos Sur
• Mt Province
• Isabela
• La Union
• Benguet
• Ifugao
• Pangasinan
• Zambales
• Tarlac
• Nueva Ecija
• Pampanga
• Bataan
• Bulacan
• Rizal
• Quezon
• Polillo Island and
• Metro Manila

Areas under Signal No. 1 are:

• Ilocos Norte
• Apayao
• Cagayan
• Cavite
• Batangas
• Laguna
• Mindoro Provinces
• Lubang Island
• Marinduque
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Albay
• Burias Island

— LBG/KBK, GMA News Online