31 dead, 49 missing as “Urduja” batters Eastern Visayas

December 18, 2017

Deaths due to Tropical Depression "Urduja"  rose to 31 while 49 are missing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday.

Roque, along with other Cabinet officials, accompanied President Rodrigo Duterte in checking the places devastated by the weather disturbance in Eastern Visayas, particularly Biliran.

Duterte had an aerial inspection and distributed relief goods.

"Total number of individuals who died as a result of the typhoon is 31, and the breakdown is as follows: 5 from Leyte; 1, Eastern Samar; 2 from Samar; 23 from the Province of Biliran," Roque said in a joint press briefing in Biliran.

Roque said 49 people are missing, which includes Romblon, 2; Leyte, 3; Eastern Samar, 11; Biliran, 33.

Citing the data of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council ( NDRRMC), Roque said the number of affected population reached to 62,309 families or about 270,707 affected individuals.

The estimated cost of damage to roads and bridges amounted to P326.7 million - P50 million for Eastern Samar and P276.7 million for Samar.

In an earlier press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Romina Marasigan NDRRMC spokesperson, said“most of the reports that we received shows that the casualties are due to landslide, drowning and sea voyage,” she said.

Based on the report of DOH (Department of Health) 34 were injured, 26 of which are reports coming from Tacloban City, five from Leyte, three from Samar these were cause by vehicular accident and falling debris,” she added.

Marasigan said based on initial assessment in Eastern VisayasI and CARAGA a total of 48 houses were totally destroyed while 101 were partially damaged because of Urduja.

As of 12 noon Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard said the number of stranded passengers has decreased to 254 with eight vessels and 10 motor boats in Palawan and Western Visayas.

Marasigan said the NDRRMC operation center remains on red alert status as they are also preparing for a weather disturbance that may hit the country.

Marasigan said it "has weakened from tropical depression into LPA ( low pressure area) located at 1630 km off the coast of Mindanao. Hopefully this will not threatening but we keep on monitoring because there is a possibility that it may still develop into storm while it is at the ocean,” she said. Celerina Monte,Robina Asido/DMS