Gener death toll rises to 37; 4 missing in Benguet

The death toll from Typhoon “Gener” (International name: Saola) has ballooned to 37, the government’s disaster  response agency reported August 3.

Undersecretary  Benito Ramos, executive director  of the National Disaster  Risk  Reduction and Management  Council (NDRRMC) said the typhoon’s  death toll ballooned  with new incidents of drowning  recorded in  Malabon City (3) Ilocos Sur province  (3), Bataan province (2), Pampanga province (2)  and Occidental Mindoro  (1).

Ramos said that all the 11 victims died of drowning on Thursday.  He said that majority of the victims went swimming as “Gener”  was moving slowly out of the  country.

The NDRRMC death count on “Gener” as of 7 pm Thursday  was 26.

Ramos said that aside  from the 11 new fatalities, the NDRRMC has also received  reports of four missing people in Banquet.

The four victims were last seen swimming, he said.

He also reported that several roads in Cordillera Administrative Region in Buguias, Benguet. Bontoc in Mountain Province, Itogon in Benguet, and Baguio City remain impassable due to landslides.

The NDRRMC said that 101,844 families were affected by the typhoon in 647 barangays of the country.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical  and Astronomic al  Services Administration (PAGASA) said that “Gener” has already moved out of the country and as of Friday,” there is no tropical cyclone existing within  the Philippine  Area of Responsibility”.

However it reported that it is monitoring low pressure re (LPA) which may also enter the PAR Saturday night and intensify into a storm.

The new LPA was last spotted by PAGASA at  1,850 kilometers east northeast of Basco Batanes.

PAGASA said that Luzon including the capital region  and the rest of the country will continue to experience rains until the weekend because of the the southwest monsoon.

Ramos said that in  a briefing  with the PAGASA pm Friday morning , he was  assured  that of the new LPA  intensified  into a storm,  it will not hit land.  He said that the weather system may only stay within the PAR  six hours on Saturday.

Nevertheless   he said that the NDRRMC will remain on red alert.  He said that the public, particularly in areas that were hardest hit by “Gener” should be on alert for flashfloods and landslides.

“Saturated ang lupa kaya kauting ulan lang, magkakaroon ng baha at landslide”, he said.

 He said that the NDRRMC received reports in Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga and Cavite provinces were still flooded as of August 3.