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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Typhoon Frank death toll rises to 111
MANILA -- The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said Tuesday that the fatalities due to typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen) have already reached 111, excluding those who died in the sunken ferry in Romblon.
The NDCC said more of the fatalities were from the Western Visayas region, which officials said was the hardest hit by the weather disturbance. It recorded 54 fatalities from the region as of Tuesday afternoon.
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The agency also received reports of six fatalities, but the number would remain classified as "unconfirmed deaths" until after their deaths are validated.
Meanwhile, 139 others were injured and 44 others were missing.
The NDCC said at least 35,768 houses have been destroyed while 69,606 others were damaged. It placed the initial cost of damage in the agriculture and infrastructure sector at P870.4 million.
The cost of assistance that has been rendered to affected people was placed at P13.6 million.
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At least 198,224 families or 981,224 persons have been affected, according to NDCC. Of the number, 27,758 persons or 142,323 persons are housed in at least 426 evacuation centers set up by the government.
However, the Western Visayas Police Regional Office said it accounted 169 deaths in the region as of Monday night.
"Ninety-nine percent of these (fatalities) died due to drowning. We received reports on the ground that in some areas, floodwaters reached as high as nine to 10 feet," said Western Visayas Police Regional Office spokesman Ranulfo Demiar.
Demiar said that of the fatalities, 20 were from Aklan, 31 from Antique, 11 from Capiz, 91 from Iloilo province, one from Negros Occidental, and 15 from Iloilo City.
About 450 school buildings in the country were also damaged by the typhoon.
The Department of Education's (DepEd's) action center reported that Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas have the most number of damaged schools with 141 and 116 or a damage cost worth P30,336,297 million and P118,060,500 million, respectively.
The other regions with damaged school buildings include Southern Tagalog-B (56) or P28,842,500 worth of damages; Ilocos Region (39) with P19,520,000 estimated damage cost; Central Luzon (30) or P13,630,000 cost of damages; Southern Tagalog -A (30) with P26,460,000 total damaged cost; the National Capital Region (21) with P37,800,000 estimated cost of damage; and Central Visayas (16) with P16,300,000 worth of damages.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the damages brought by the storm to school buildings across the country has already reached P291 million, but said it could still go high as reports are still being culled from the field.
Lapus said classes in 124 schools in the eight regions remain suspended as schools are being used as evacuation centers for the 1,291 families.
He also said that classes are still suspended in Navotas and Malabon areas due to flooding.
"We leave the discretion to resume classes in these areas to our school officials and the local authorities," Lapus said. (VR/AH/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (June 25, 2008 issue)
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