(Update) 'Mina' already claimed 6 lives’ - DOH
11/25/2007 | 07:02 PM
Health Secretary Francisco Duque on Sunday said typhoon Mina has already claimed six lives even as it has yet to make a landfall.
In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo following a National Disaster Coordinating Council meeting, Duque said the six fatalities are from Camarines Sur and
almost all died of drowning due the heavy downpour caused by the weather disturbance.
“We listed six fatalities from Camarines Sur, five drowned and one was electrocuted, said Duque in Filipino.
“Take note – ‘Mina’ has yet to make landfall but there are already typhoon-caused fatalities," Duque said to underscore that people should fully prepare for the weather disturbance.
When asked if there are casualties reported in other areas due to “Mina," which is expected to make landfall Monday morning in the provinces of Cagayan and
Isabela, Duque said: “Wala pa kaming ulat hinggil sa mga casualties from other provinces (We have no casualty report from other provinces)."
But Bernardo Alejandro, director of the Office of the Civil in Bicol, earlier said they were trying to confirm the death of a seven-year-old in Camarines Norte who supposedly drowned.
He said they were also confirming six deaths in Camarines Sur, which appeared
to have been confirmed by Duque.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council said it has no information as to the current number of residents who have been sent to evacuation centers as
the government adopted a pre-emptive evacuation of people to minimize casualties.
Alejandro said that in the Bicol region, which was earlier forecast to be directly hit by “Mina," the number of evacuees reached 298,314 persons or over
64,000 families but said many of them have returned to their homes as Mina took a different track.
NDCC spokesman and concurrent OCD deputy administrator Anthony Golez said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Sunday called the governors of the provinces that would be hit by Mina during an executive meeting in Malacañang to ensure that preemptive evacuation are taking place.
“We have no latest figures (on evacuees) because its (sending of people back to their home) ongoing in Albay and its (evacuation) are also ongoing in other
areas," said Golez. Specifically, he said preemptive evacuation of people living in 16 flood-prone municipalities in Isabela are ongoing.
Golez said the President spoke with Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and the latter said that he has ordered the return of his constituents have been earlier evacuated
to their homes, particularly those in the eastern seaboard or coastline because they are not going to be hit by Mina.
“But those in the lahar and flood prone areas will stay," added Golez.
PAGASA director Prisco Nilo said Mina – which has a sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour with gustiness of up to 195 kph - is moving closer to northern Luzon. As of 5 p.m. Sunday, It was located 180 km north northwest of Virac, Catanduanes or 180 km east southeast of Casiguran, Aurora.
“It is expected to move [toward] Isabela and Cagayan areas and then cross northern Luzon, exiting Ilocos Norte. So by early Monday, it is expected to make
landfall in Isabela and it will start to traverse Northern Luzon, exiting Ilocos Norte by Tuesday morning and by Wednesday morning it will be already out into the ocean in the south China sea," said Nilo.
Public storm signal No. 3 is raised over the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte and Polillo island. Nilo said that while Catanduanes, Camarines Norte and Polillo Island are not going to be directly hit, they will still be affected by Mina’s strong winds.
Public storm signal No. 2 is raised over Camarines Sur, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya, Mt. Province, Kalinga and Apayao while public storm signal No. 1 is up in Albay, Burias Island, Marinduque, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Batangas, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra and Babuyan Islands.
Nilo said that while Metro Manila is not covered by any public storm signal, rain showers are expected until Tuesday.
At the same time, Nilo said that tropical storm Lando, which hit some parts of the country about a week ago will re-enter the country. He said Lando, which has left 14 people dead and 11 injured, is “more or less stationary" near Vietnam. - GMANews.TV
In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo following a National Disaster Coordinating Council meeting, Duque said the six fatalities are from Camarines Sur and
almost all died of drowning due the heavy downpour caused by the weather disturbance.
“We listed six fatalities from Camarines Sur, five drowned and one was electrocuted, said Duque in Filipino.
“Take note – ‘Mina’ has yet to make landfall but there are already typhoon-caused fatalities," Duque said to underscore that people should fully prepare for the weather disturbance.
When asked if there are casualties reported in other areas due to “Mina," which is expected to make landfall Monday morning in the provinces of Cagayan and
Isabela, Duque said: “Wala pa kaming ulat hinggil sa mga casualties from other provinces (We have no casualty report from other provinces)."
But Bernardo Alejandro, director of the Office of the Civil in Bicol, earlier said they were trying to confirm the death of a seven-year-old in Camarines Norte who supposedly drowned.
He said they were also confirming six deaths in Camarines Sur, which appeared
to have been confirmed by Duque.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council said it has no information as to the current number of residents who have been sent to evacuation centers as
the government adopted a pre-emptive evacuation of people to minimize casualties.
Alejandro said that in the Bicol region, which was earlier forecast to be directly hit by “Mina," the number of evacuees reached 298,314 persons or over
64,000 families but said many of them have returned to their homes as Mina took a different track.
NDCC spokesman and concurrent OCD deputy administrator Anthony Golez said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Sunday called the governors of the provinces that would be hit by Mina during an executive meeting in Malacañang to ensure that preemptive evacuation are taking place.
“We have no latest figures (on evacuees) because its (sending of people back to their home) ongoing in Albay and its (evacuation) are also ongoing in other
areas," said Golez. Specifically, he said preemptive evacuation of people living in 16 flood-prone municipalities in Isabela are ongoing.
Golez said the President spoke with Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and the latter said that he has ordered the return of his constituents have been earlier evacuated
to their homes, particularly those in the eastern seaboard or coastline because they are not going to be hit by Mina.
“But those in the lahar and flood prone areas will stay," added Golez.
PAGASA director Prisco Nilo said Mina – which has a sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour with gustiness of up to 195 kph - is moving closer to northern Luzon. As of 5 p.m. Sunday, It was located 180 km north northwest of Virac, Catanduanes or 180 km east southeast of Casiguran, Aurora.
“It is expected to move [toward] Isabela and Cagayan areas and then cross northern Luzon, exiting Ilocos Norte. So by early Monday, it is expected to make
landfall in Isabela and it will start to traverse Northern Luzon, exiting Ilocos Norte by Tuesday morning and by Wednesday morning it will be already out into the ocean in the south China sea," said Nilo.
Public storm signal No. 3 is raised over the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte and Polillo island. Nilo said that while Catanduanes, Camarines Norte and Polillo Island are not going to be directly hit, they will still be affected by Mina’s strong winds.
Public storm signal No. 2 is raised over Camarines Sur, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya, Mt. Province, Kalinga and Apayao while public storm signal No. 1 is up in Albay, Burias Island, Marinduque, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Batangas, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra and Babuyan Islands.
Nilo said that while Metro Manila is not covered by any public storm signal, rain showers are expected until Tuesday.
At the same time, Nilo said that tropical storm Lando, which hit some parts of the country about a week ago will re-enter the country. He said Lando, which has left 14 people dead and 11 injured, is “more or less stationary" near Vietnam. - GMANews.TV
