9 killed, 19 missing as ‘Reming’ strikes

At least nine people were killed, 215 injured and 19 missing after Typhoon "Reming" pounded Luzon yesterday, disaster officials said.

Packing sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 140 kph, Reming (international code name Xangsane) slammed into eastern Luzon, near the capital town of Daet in Camarines Norte before dawn.

Moving northwest at 19 kph, Reming knifed across southern Luzon, dumping heavy rains, triggering landslides, uprooting trees and toppling power lines. But it weakened as it headed towards Naic, Cavite.

It is expected to blow south of Metro Manila today and cross the tip of the Bataan peninsula. It is forecast to be 280 kilometers west of Iba, Zambales this afternoon. Reming is likely to intensify over the South China Sea, weather forecasters said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Reming was charted near Talisay, Batangas, about 30 kilometers south of Metro Manila.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) raised storm Signal No. 3 over Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Quezon and Sorsogon.

Signal No. 2 was hoisted over Metro Manila, while Signal No. 1 was raised over the rest of central and northern Luzon.

Among the dead were a man and a woman who were electrocuted in Virac town, Catanduanes, while two women were crushed to death by a fallen tree, said Christina Abat of the Office of Civil Defense.

A man drowned in Mauban, Quezon, while another man died of hypothermia in Malinao, Albay, said Renato Arevalo, also of the Office of Civil Defense.

A woman was crushed to death by a collapsed wall in Makati City.

Coast Guard officials dispatched five patrol boats to search for 19 fishermen aboard eight motor boats which went missing in rough seas off Borongan town in Samar, Abat said.

Ships and boats were barred by the Coast Guard from venturing into typhoon-battered areas, and those already out at sea were ordered to seek shelter at the nearest port.

Nearly 4,000 people were stranded after authorities temporarily halted sea ferries to Samar and Sorsogon provinces.

"Operations will resume only when concerned authorities declare that it is safe to do so," said Cmdr. Luis Imperial, Coast Guard command duty officer.

Strong winds and floods forced over 2,000 people to flee their homes in Samar and in Albay province, where local officials are closely monitoring possible mud slides near villages on the slopes of Mayon Volcano.

Boulders from Mayon blocked roads linking Legazpi City and Sto. Domingo town.

In Sorsogon, about 1,600 houses were destroyed and 4,500 were damaged by high winds and flash floods, disaster officials said. An estimated P431 million worth of crops and properties in Sorsogon alone were damaged, officials added.

Refugees were housed in schools and evacuation centers, officials said, adding that stocks of rice and canned goods were being readied in case the number of refugees increases. Trucks were also put on standby to clear landslides that might obstruct roads.

Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines and Asian spirit canceled flights to the affected provinces, where the typhoon swamped several towns, set off a landslide and knocked out power, disaster officials said.

Several international flights were canceled or delayed because of the bad weather. Stranded passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were booked by the airlines in hotels free of charge until they can board their flights.

Two FedEx flights to and from Manila were also canceled.

Arriving passengers of Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong said they encountered air turbulence upon entering Philippine air space.

Heavy rains fell in Metro Manila the other night but there were no reports of serious flooding.

In Pampanga, authorities are closely watching a huge dike, the province’s last line of defense against flashfloods and volcanic lahar flows from nearby Mt. Pinatubo.

"Pampanga folks can afford to sleep soundly because the megadike is still dependable," said Chief Superintendent Roberto Calinisan, Central Luzon police director.

But still, Calinisan had ordered policemen and rescue teams to stay on alert in case of emergencies. Several trucks, buses and boats were put on standby. Relief workers from the Department of Social Welfare and Development were also readied to help refugees.

Further north, a consul and three employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs were killed in Isabela when their van collided with a bus in bad weather yesterday. Police said a tire of the van burst, causing it to veer into the opposite lane and smash into a bus and a tree.

Consul Marivic Gavlesa and three other foreign affairs department employees, including the driver, were killed instantly. Three other people aboard the van were injured. They were on their way to a seminar in Cagayan province, police said.

No one was hurt aboard the bus, which fell into a shallow roadside canal, police said. The accident occurred on a road made slippery by continuous rains caused by the typhoon.

About 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines annually. – AP, AFP, Sheila Crisostomo, Celso Amo, Rey Arquiza, Ric Sapnu