Seniang kills 35

MANILA, Philippines - At least 35 people died while scores were injured and missing in the wake of widespread flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains of Tropical Storm Seniang over wide areas of Mindanao and the Visayas, regional disaster offices reported yesterday.

Most of the areas inundated by the heavy rains brought by Seniang are still reeling from the massive devastation caused by Typhoon Ruby earlier this month.

As of yesterday afternoon, rescuers were still digging for survivors buried inside their houses in a landslide that hit Barangay Mercedes in Catbalogan City, Eastern Samar.

Nine bodies have so far been recovered in the ongoing search and retrieval operation that also resulted in the rescue of 12 from the landslide-stricken village, the city’s disaster office said in its initial report.

Aside from four confirmed dead in the Catbalogan landslide, the regional Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Eastern Visayas reported that 13 people died in landslides and floods in Leyte. Two drowned in Abuyog and another two in Mahaplag; one was electrocuted in Dulag; one drowned in Baybay, and five died in a landslide in Tanauan.

OCD regional director Blanche Gobenciong reported that two people died from electrocution during heavy rains in Loon town in Bohol.

“This is just an initial report,” Gobenciong said, adding road traffic along Daang Maharlika was cut off by landslides in Barangay Cabuyanan, Tanauan, Leyte, as well as at Kilometer 0923 in the Mainit-San Miguel-Santol Road.

In Central Visayas, 10 people perished from landslide or from drowning in the widespread flooding that submerged a number of towns and villages in the eastern part of Cebu province.

In Rondo town, several houses were swept away by overflowing river tributaries.

A pump boat coming from Southern Leyte bound for Limasawa, Cebu reportedly capsized last Monday. Its six passengers, including Senior Inspector Richard Castañares, the island town’s police chief, are still missing.

Missing mountain climbers

The National Disaster Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that 65-year-old Mik Cipriano, of Barangay Naboc, Monkayo, Compostela Valley, died from drowning.

The NDRRMC added a certain Chris Retiza, 24, of Zone 3 Purok, Poblacion, also of Compostela Valley, went missing after he was swept away by floods.

As of yesterday, a total of 5,529 families or 23,629 persons were affected by Seniang in Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Davao region.

In Western Visayas, a barge sailing from Semirara, Antique to the capital town of San Jose, drifted towards coastal waters of Barangay Villaflor, Tobias Fornier at the height of stormy weather.

Rosario Cabrera, OCD Western Visayas regional director, said 12 of the 19 crewmembers of the barge were rescued. One of them was injured and is now confined in hospital.

“The remaining crew members are still being rescued,” Cabrera said.

Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano said some 60 mountain climbers have been missing since Monday at the height of Seniang.

Emano said the provincial government is coordinating with rescue groups to locate the mountain climbers who were reported trapped on Mt. Lumot.

Seniang (international name Jangmi) maintained its strength and continued to dump heavy rains in many parts of the Visayas and Southern Luzon yesterday, the state weather bureau said.

Robert Sawi, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said rains from Seniang are likely to dampen the New Year revelry in the Bicol region, Samar, Romblon, Marinduque, Panay and Mindoro.

He said these areas would continue to experience moderate to occasionally heavy rains today.

The rest of Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila, would be cloudy with light rains on New Year’s Eve.

Palawan, on the other hand, would experience moderate to heavy rains until today as Seniang heads towards the West Philippine Sea, Sawi said.

Seniang made its fourth landfall over Guihulngan, Negros Oriental at around 7 a.m. yesterday.

Its third landfall was in the vicinity of Sibunga, Cebu at 4:45 a.m., PAGASA said.

Seniang first hit the landmass of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur before dawn Monday and Bohol on Monday evening.

Seniang was hovering over Negros Oriental and moving towards Panay Gulf as of noon yesterday.

Seniang was downgraded into a tropical depression Monday evening. But it re-intensified into a storm after passing bodies of water, PAGASA said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Seniang was located 108 kilometers southwest of Iloilo City with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometer per hour (kph) near center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

It was forecast to move west at 19 kph.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, storm warning signal No. 2 remained hoisted over Cuyo Island, Palawan, Guimaras, southern Antique and southern Iloilo.

Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over Calamian Group of Islands, Negros Occidental, Aklan, Capiz, the rest of Iloilo and the rest of Antique.

PAGASA lifted all storm signals in Mindanao.

The weather bureau said the storm would continue to bring moderate to heavy rains (7.5 to 15 millimeters per hour) within its 300-km radius.

The agency continued to warn residents in low-lying and mountainous areas of the provinces under storm signals against possible flashfloods and landslides.

The ocean waves may reach up to five meters, the agency further warned.

“Fisherfolk and those with small seacraft are advised not to venture out over the seaboards of Luzon, the Visayas and over the northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao,” PAGASA said.

As of noon yesterday, 14 domestic flights to and from the affected areas were cancelled due to bad weather.

Thousands were left stranded in various seaports as Seniang rages on, dumping heavy rains in the affected provinces.

Seniang will be out of the central region after midnight Wednesday before brushing the southern tip of Palawan on its way out of the country on Thursday, PAGASA said.

Earlier this month Super Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) left 18 people dead after it lashed central provinces with 210 kph winds.

Last year Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the strongest ever to hit land, left 7,350 people dead or missing in the same region as it stirred up tsunami-like waves, wiping out entire towns. – Helen Flores, Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos, Lalaine Jimenea, Gerry Lee-Gorit, Ben Serrano, Jennifer Rendon