Sunday, May 18, 2008
Cosme destroys homes, takes lives in Pangasinan, La Union (7 p.m.)
AT LEAST four people have been reported to have died, two others were injured, and thousands of families have been affected due to tropical storm Cosme that has been wrecking havoc since Saturday, a spokesman for the multi-agency National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.
Anthony Golez, NDCC spokesman and concurrent deputy administrator of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), said they received initial reports that the four fatalities from La Union and Pangasinan died due to electrocution, hit by fallen trees or hit by flying galvanized irons.
He said the death toll is not yet official unless the Department of Health (DOH), an attached agency of the NDCC, is able to verify the deaths.
“There are four unconfirmed deaths -- three from La Union and one from Pangasinan. The DOH is currently verifying the deaths,” said Golez.
He said based on the monitoring, Zambales and Pangasinan appeared to be the hardest hit. NDCC chairman and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. flew to the two provinces on Saturday to oversee the ongoing relief efforts by field units and the local government units (LGUs).
Golez said roofs of the majority of the houses in San Narciso in Lingayen, Pangasinan were flown due to strong winds.
He said Teodoro has asked the local NDCC to make a make a damage assessment, which he said will be the basis in the amount of assistance to be given. (VR/Sunnex) |
