Typhoon 'Nina' leaves 4 dead

MANILA, Philippines – At least four people were killed while some 2,000 were displaced as typhoon “Nina” (international name Hagupit) whipped northern and central Luzon as well as parts of the Visayas and Mindanao with heavy rains and strong winds.

One person died in La Union after he was electrocuted in floodwaters. Three others drowned while crossing a river in Antique.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued 21 people from three cargo and fishing vessels that sank in rough waters as the typhoon gathered strength off northern Luzon and the Visayas.

A vessel capsized off Romblon last Sunday, but all 13 crewmen and captain were rescued.

The PCG said that the M/V Margelin 2 encountered engine trouble after it was battered by big waves off Cresto de Gallo Island, a few kilometers from where the M/V Princess of the Stars sank last June.

Another passenger vessel of Sulpicio Lines, the M/V Princess of the South, was hit on its bow by the Aboitiz-owned SuperFerry 12 as it was leaving a pier in Cebu. Minor damage on the Princess of the South was reported.

The Coast Guard also reported that 578 people were stranded in Sorsogon and Albay due to rising floodwaters.

Classes were suspended in La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, and Pangasinan due to flooding and continuous rains.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, storm signal No. 3 was up over Batanes, Cagayan, Babuyan, Calayan group of islands, Ilocos Norte and Apayao, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Signal No. 2 was raised over Cagayan, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Abra and Ilocos Sur, and signal No. 1 over Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Tarlac, Zambales, and Pampanga.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Nina was spotted some 115 kilometers north of Aparri, Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph, Pagasa weather forecaster Chris Perez said.

Nina would continue to bring rains over the country, particularly the western section, until today, he said.

The typhoon is predicted to leave the country within the next 24 hours or earlier.

It is expected to be at 360 kms west-northwest of Laoag City or 410 kms west of Basco, Batanes this afternoon.

By tomorrow afternoon, it would be at 830 kms west-northwest of Basco.

Although it did not make landfall, Perez said heavy rains and strong winds were also experienced in Itbayat, Basco, Calayan, Aparri, Tuguegarao, Casiguran, Vigan and Laoag yesterday.

Nina, with sustained winds of up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) an hour, was exiting the Philippines yesterday and moving toward southern China, with landfall expected there tomorrow (Wednesday), the weather bureau said.

Due to high tide, some portions of Pangasinan, including Barangays Pogo Lasip, Bonuan Binloc, Bonuan Boquig, Bonuan Gueset, and Mangin, were flooded yesterday, said Robert Erfe-Mejia, Dagupan City public order and safety office chief.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod, led by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, also cancelled its session.

In Nueva Vizcaya, some schools decided to send their pupils home as the weather steadily deteriorated yesterday.

Heavy traffic was also reported at Dalton Pass along the national highway in Santa Fe and the Nueva Vizcaya-Benguet mountain road due to fallen debris and landslides that covered some stretches of road.

In La Union, classes in high school and elementary level were suspended due to flooding and continuous rains.

San Fernando City Mayor Pablo Ortega told The STAR that Rodolfo Villanueva, 27, resident of Barangay Parian, died of electrocution after he stepped on an open live wire soaked in floodwater.

In Bauang town, the OCD reported that fisherman Carlos Quillo, 46, of the coastal village of Pilar, was missing after he went fishing along the Lingayen Gulf Sunday afternoon.

In Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, two missing fishermen, Sonny Darang and Geoffrey Graycochea, were rescued yesterday morning in the South China Sea.

In Antique, three persons died while six others survived when their wooden boat capsized while crossing a flooded river in Barangay Tigmamale, Valderrama, Antique during heavy rains spawned by Nina Sunday morning.

The OCD identified the victims as Leonila Alejo, her grandson Mac-Mac Alejo, and Clarita Viaje, all of Barangay Bugnay, Valderrama, Antique.

The bodies of the victims were recovered in Barangay Igbalangao, Bugasong, a village several kilometers away from the accident scene.

The OCD said those rescued were Crispin, Cita and Cecilia, all surnamed Puno.

They managed to cling to a piece of wood from the boat River Crosser which got entangled between two big rocks in the riverbanks in Barangay Bugtason, also in Bugason.

Three boatmen also escaped death by swimming to the riverbanks. – With Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude, Charlie Lagasca, Jun Elias