'Ineng' damage balloons to P2B, death toll climbs to 31

MANILA, Philippines - The amount of agriculture and infrastructure damage caused by "Ineng" has ballooned to P2.6 billion while the typhoon's death toll has reached 31.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the typhoon has damaged P2.68 billion worth of properties in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon and Cordillera.

The amount of infrastructure damage hit P1.42 billion while that of agriculture totaled P1.23 billion. Damage to other properties like agricultural lands and electrical posts reached P29.7 million.

The typhoon damaged 5,742 houses in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Cordillera regions.

"Ineng," which left the Philippine area of responsibility last Aug. 23, claimed the lives of 31 persons.

The latest fatalities were identified as Rocky Mangrubang and Ronald Angel, both 19 years old, who were buried in a landslide in Mankayan, Benguet last Aug. 31.

Nine persons are still missing, according to the NDRRMC.

A total of 318,359 persons or 71,955 families were evacuated in six regions because of the typhoon. Of the displaced residents, 11,915 persons or 2,966 families are still inside evacuation centers.

Local governments in five provinces and four towns have declared a state of calamity because of the impact of the typhoon.

The areas that were placed under state of calamity were Abra, Ilocos Norte, Benguet, Apayao and Mountain Province and the towns of Sta. Praxedes, Cagayan, Balbalan and Kalinga.

The declaration allows local governments to use calamity funds to assist their affected constituents.