Flashfloods leave 9 dead, 1 missing in E Visayas

At least nine residents were confirmed dead while a tenth remained missing a week after flashfloods hit Northern Samar, Southern Leyte and Leyte provinces in the Eastern Visayas region. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said five of the nine fatalities were killed when the floods caused a landslide that buried a house in Northern Samar. It said the floods also affected at least 12 towns, including eight in Northern Samar, one in Southern Leyte, and three in Leyte. Flash floods hit the three provinces after more than a week of continuous rains that started last Dec. 27. As of Wednesday noon, the NDCC said at least 11,365 families or 58,390 persons in 82 villages had been affected. Some 164 houses were destroyed and 445 damaged in Catarman, Northern Samar. The NDCC said the landslide occurred in Diit de Suba village in Silvino Lobos town in Northern Samar. Five were confirmed dead, three injured, and one missing in that landslide. Killed were Pablo Gallamora, 56; Violeta Gallamora, 50; Jun-jun Aseron, 2; Julius Taco, 5; and Langga Taco, 12. Missing was Emmanuel Soriano, 14. Injured were Manuel Soriano 6, of Northern Samar; Geronimo Dones, 5, of Sampaguita village in Catarman; Dominga Romero, 65, of Ipil-ipil in Catarman; Cecioia Herrera, 68; Alberto Cardenas, 42, of Narra village in Catarman; and Nathaniel Marino, 36, of UEP Zone 2 in Silvino Lobos village. But it was not immediately clear who among the six injured were hurt from the landslide that occurred due to the floods. Other fatalities from the flash floods included Gerymay Ymata, 5, of Mondragon town in Northern Samar; Jacky Ymata, 4; Jennylind Roplo, 8 months old; and Bernardo Cerbito of Pambujam, Northern Samar. - GMANews.TV