Storm signals raised as Maring intensifies

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Maring intensified into a severe tropical storm yesterday, prompting the state weather agency to place several areas in Luzon under storm signals due to heavy rain and strong winds.

Two persons were reported dead due to the onslaught of Maring.

Pedro Sanjilan, 27, was swept away by the current and drowned in Claveria, Cagayan after he slipped at the town’s seaport yesterday.

In Zamboanga City, two-year-old Athena Francin Alfonso was pinned under a tree uprooted by strong winds spawned by Maring in Barangay Tugbungan on Sunday.

The girl was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed Abra, Apayao, Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, the northern portions of Isabela, Kalinga and Mountain Province under storm Signal No. 2 as gale-force to storm-force winds were expected to prevail within 24 hours in these areas.

Placed under Signal No. 1 were Aurora, the northern portion of Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Ifugao, the rest of Isabela, La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Pangasinan, the northern portion of Quezon province, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales.

As of noon yesterday, Maring was spotted moving toward Babuyan Islands, packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph, PAGASA said.

It said the southwest monsoon was expected to enhance Maring, dumping heavy rain over Mindoro, Palawan, the Visayas and Zamboanga peninsula in the next 24 hours.

Maring is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility today as it intensifies into a typhoon before it reaches Hainan Island in China.

Tornadoes believed spawned by Maring destroyed 27 houses in two barangays in Zamboanga City on Sunday afternoon.

No casualty was reported when twisters devastated the houses in the villages of Talon-Talon and Lumbangan, according to Elmeir Apolinario, chief of the city disaster risk reduction and management office.

He said the Zamboanga peninsula has been experiencing strong winds and scattered rain since Sunday due to the storm.

Ten sea vessels took shelter in the ports of Dalahican, Real and Polilio, all in Quezon province, to escape Maring’s wrath, the Philippine Coast Guard said. – Victor Martin, Roel Pareño, Evelyn Macairan, Artemio Dumlao