Typhoon Jolina leaves 9 dead, 9 missing in Eastern Visayas

Photo courtesy of Rommel Rutor
Photo courtesy of Rommel Rutor

AT LEAST nine people were dead and nine others were declared missing after Typhoon Jolina (Conson) brought strong winds and moderate to heavy rains that triggered flash floods in Eastern Visayas provinces.

In Samar, the casualties were identified as Ryan Jerusalem, 33, from

Tarangnan; Roy Carcellar, 52, and Mark Jhun Nierras, 22, from Daram; Bienvenido Marquez, 65, from Catbalogan City; Alejandro Solayao, Sanieboy Ibayan, Joseph Imnas, and Benedicto De Paz, all from Tacloban City who went fishing in the waters of Santo Niño.

All the victims were fishermen who were caught off guard as the storm rapidly intensified into a typhoon and made landfall over Samar and Eastern Samar on Tuesday, September 7.

In Maasin City, Southern Leyte, the victim was identified as Marcelo Sumarca Lolo, 22, who sustained a fatal head injury after he tried to save a floating raft from the strong waves in Barangay Tagnipa.

“Typhoon Jolina was really surprising. Its rapid development into typhoon really caught us all in shock that we never prepared that much. But we are generally safe now,” said Ronan Napoto of Quinapondan, Eastern Samar.

As of Wednesday morning, September 8, electricity has been cut in most of the affected areas.

“Together with our neighbors, we are all trying to clean up the mess that Jolina left us. This will again consume so much of our time that could have been spent looking for a living,” Napoto added.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has mobilized its line crews and assessed the impact of the severe tropical storm on its operations and facilities.

According to NGCP, simultaneous restoration activities were conducted on the areas that were already accessible.

The transmission lines that have been restored included Paranas-Bliss 69kV in Samar and Calbayog-Bliss 69kV affecting Samar consumers; and Paranas-Borongan-Quinapondan 69kV and Sta. Rita-Quinapondan 69kV affecting Eastern Samar.

Meanwhile, a 27-year-old water boy died on Wednesday, September 8, after he accidentally held on to a lamp post while his body was submerged in floodwater brought by the storm.

Police identified the victim as Donde Dejano of Ormoc City.

In Santo Niño, Samar, authorities rescued a total of 51 survivors who were trapped during the onslaught of the typhoon.

In the initial information released by the Police Regional Office on Wednesday morning, Septemer 8, the missing persons were from Zumarraga, Samar; Tanauan and Tolosa, Leyte; and Caibiran, Kawayan, and Culaba, Biliran.

Lieutenant Colonel Ma. Bella Rentuaya, police regional spokesperson, said a total of 1,745 evacuation centers were also established across the region.

Nine ships, 336 vehicles, and 1,122 individuals were stranded in various ports in Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.

No major infrastructure, however, was damaged by the typhoon. (SunStar Philippines)

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