CEBU CITY -- Tropical Depression 'Queenie,' after leaving two people dead in Central Visayas, intensified into a tropical storm while moving over the West Philippine Sea Friday, the state weather bureau reported.
As of 4 p.m. Friday, Queenie was spotted at 420 kilometers (km) west northwest of Puerto Princesa City, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 p.m. weather bulletin.
The tropical storm, carrying maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, is expected to exit the western border of the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday evening.
Queenie is forecast to move west northwest at 26 kph.
The weather bureau has lifted all public storm warning signals.
Queenie left Cebu on Thursday with a mother’s death, and Bohol with a ship engineer’s.
In Poblacion 1, Malabuyoc, 50-year-old Alona Baldado died when she was swept away by floods. She was inside her house, located near a bridge, when flood currents swept her downstream along with her two children.
Baldado was able to save her kids, one of whom climbed a coconut tree.
In Bohol, a Cebuano crew member of a cargo vessel died when strong winds knocked him down and he fell into the sea. Strong waves were also rocking M/V Edward Lawrence.
According to a radio report, the body of Cesario dela Serna, chief engineer of M/V Edward Lawrence, was found off the shore of Barangay Looc in Jagna town, where the vessel took shelter amid the heavy rains.
Dela Serna, 59, was from Liloan, Cebu.
In its 6 a.m. Friday bulletin, the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) recorded a total of 1,617 displaced families in the regions of Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga.
The NDRRMC said that nine people remain missing; one in Cebu, two in Bohol and six in Negros Oriental.
Meanwhile, a new low pressure area was spotted at 480 km east of General Santos City.
The weather disturbance is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms over Mindanao and Eastern and Central Visayas within 24 hours. (Sunnex)