Storm kills 18 in Leyte, Samar

CEBU, Philippines – A total of 14 people died from landslides, two others of electrocution and two more of drowning in various parts of Leyte and Samar provinces when storm Seniang struck Eastern Visayas and caused flooding in almost all parts of the region yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Asher Dolina, director of the Police Regional Office-Region 8, yesterday told the media in Tacloban the identities of the fatalities and the causes of their deaths.

In Tanauan town of Leyte, a family of five was buried in a 100-meter landslide early morning yesterday at the boundary of Barangays Cabuynan and Sto. Niño. They were: Sarah Custodio, 56; nurse Mae Joy Custodio, 26; Merlie Custodio, 52; Mark Glemer Custodio, Jr, one-year-and-10-month old; and Vincent Custodio, 10. 

A landslide at sitio Cagang in Barangay Polahongon of Mahaplag, Leyte also buried to death four family members:

Edilberto Dedal Sr, 42; Lolita Dedal, 41; Jonel Dedal, 13; and Emily Dedal, 11. Only one of the family, Edilberto Dedal Jr., 14, escaped the tragedy.

Two others, who survived the landslide, Mark Glemer Custodio Sr., a seaman, and Jim Joel, 53, were brought to hospitals in Tacloban City for treatment.

Another person was killed when three houses were buried by a landslide at the boundary between the mountain Barangays of Gaas and Hipusngo in Baybay City. The fatality was identified as Corazon Cuasito Desto, 54. 

In Catbalogan City, a van cruising from Tacloban City to Calbayog City in Samar got buried in time when a landslide occurred at Barangay Mercedes, killing four passengers and injuring 12 others. They were taken to the Samar Provincial Hospital.

In Abuyog, Leyte, two children drowned after a pumpboat they were riding capsized on the overflowing river. They were identified as Daryl Ampok, 6, and Vince Empanzo, 8.

Two other deaths meanwhile resulted from electrocution. One victim was Jose Moron of Barangay Ginsang-an in Inopacan, Leyte, and the other, Jamil Lim, a resident of Barangay Sabang Daguitan in Baybay City, who died in Dulag, Leyte.

Lim, who, together with five other surfing enthusiasts, wanted to test the big waves at the Pacific Ocean in Dulag, Leyte. They were setting up their tent when it flew away. Lim tried to hold on to it and was not aware it had touched a live wire.

Baybay City Mayor Carmen Cari said Mayor Sia Que of Dulag took care of transporting Lim's body back to Baybay, as soon as a major landslide at the national highway in Barangay Villa Solidaridad was cleared.

An estimated 1,100 cubic meters had to be removed by the 5th Leyte Engineering District of the DPWH yesterday, and, as of 10 a.m. one lane of the highway was already passable.

Other survivors of the landslide are now being taken care of by the barangay officials of Hipusngo, Cari said, adding that they narrated to her that, before the landslide, they heard a big bang prompting them to run outside their houses, even if it was raining hard. That was when the muddy earth came sliding down, burying Desto dead.

Seniang's heavy rainfall, even if it did not directly hit Eastern Visayas, wreaked havoc on various towns and cities, in Leyte, Samar and Biliran provinces.

The Hiagsam Bridge at Jaro town in Leyte was badly damaged, with a landslide at Barangay Lemon in Capoocan, Leyte, rendering the Ormoc-Tacloban road impassable. Soldiers of the 19th IB helped clear the road and made it passable yesterday afternoon.

Vice Governor Carlo Loreto earlier yesterday said some flooded areas were in Babay City, Tacloban City, and the towns of San Miguel, Abuyog, Sta. Fe and Palo due to heavy and relentless rains since Monday as Seniang made a landfall.

In Tacloban, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council yesterday started its rescue operations of residents at the V & G Subdivision and Apitong district where many houses remained submerge to floods.

In Calbiga town of Samar, almost half of the town was flooded leaving only roofs of visible. About 2,000 people were however evacuated to higher grounds the day earlier.

A report from the Philippine Information Agency added that some roads were impassable while one mobile network had no service in Biliran province yesterday morning.

It also said the overflowing Anyog River, between Barangays Esperanza and Looc in Cabucgayan town, and the overflowing Mainit River at Barangay Villavicenta in Caibiran town made parts of the Biliran Circumferential Road impassable to commuters. There were no reports of landslides or road slip in the area however.

Meanwhile, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines issued an advisory saying that it has been working to restore transmission services to the electric cooperatives in Leyte, and Biliran provinces. Works were going on to replace toppled 69-kV structure along the Lemon-Biliran line. The LEYECO III and DORELCO's Tolosa Substation were re-energized at 12:38 p.m. yesterday after the repair of the Milgaro-Tunga-olos line section was completed. — With wire reports