NDRRMC: 11 confirmed dead in 'Ruby' aftermath

MANILA, Philippines - The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday confirmed at least 11 fatalities - eight of which were still being validated by the health bureau - in the aftermath of Tropical Depression "Ruby."

In a televised press briefing, NDRRMC executive director Alexander Pama presented the agency's latest official report which listed three deaths in Cebu, Samar and Biliran provinces.

The fatalities were a 14-year-old boy who died of electrocution, a two-month-old female infant who was hit by a falling tree and a man hit by debris.

Pama explained, however, that there were also eight other confirmed deaths, but they have yet to be included in the official, published NDRRMC report pending the validation by the Department of Health (DOH).

He said the official NDRRMC report will only contain figures that have been confirmed, validated and verified.

Two previously reported deaths were removed from the NDRRMC report after further validation conducted by the DOH found out that their deaths were not directly related to the tropical cyclone.

A total of 45 injured persons were also reported, the NDRRMC added.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) earlier claimed a higher death toll - 22. Most of the fatalities were due to drowning.

Citing reports from her organization's chapters and volunteers, PRC secretary general Gwendolyn Pang said 16 of the deaths were from Borongan in Eastern Samar. Twelve of them were unidentified.

Two died of hypothermia and another of undetermined cause in Iloilo at the height of the typhoon. There was also one death in Hernani, Eastern Samar also due to heart attack.

Ruby's impact

The NDRRMC said Ruby affected over 450,000 families or more than two million people, majority of whom were evacuated from their homes.

Twenty provinces in six regions are experiencing power outages while 16 areas in Quezon province, Laguna and Marinduque have been flooded.

Cost of Ruby's damage to agriculture was pegged at over P1 million.

Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and San Pablo City in Laguna had been declared under a state of calamity.