Seniang batters Caraga: 3 dead

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Three people were killed, one was missing and thousands were evacuated in the five provinces of Caraga region as heavy rains and strong winds brought by Tropical Storm Seniang pummeled the area starting Sunday.

In the city of Tagum, a bus skidded off a rain-soaked road late Sunday, leaving one passenger dead and 17 injured, said provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Samuel Gadingan.

In the mountainous town of Monkayo, a 65-year-old man drowned as he tried to cross a river while one person was killed by a tree uprooted by fierce winds in Butuan City, other officials said.

Another man was swept away while collecting coconuts on a riverbank in Compostela town and is still missing, said regional disaster relief official Raul Villocino.

Agusan del Sur Vice Gov. Santiago Cane said Seniang caused rains that flooded his house for the first time.

In Butuan City, a resident of Barangay Ambago was killed when an uprooted tree fell on the victim, according to barangay chairman Fred Olaer.

Work was suspended in all private and government offices in Caraga.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said a total of 783 evacuation centers have been prepared in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga.

Local disaster management units have conducted pre-emptive evacuation in some of the affected areas, but the total number of displaced residents has yet to be released.

Initial police reports pegged the evacuees in Caraga region at 22,834 individuals or 5,656 families.

Pre-emptive evacuation was also conducted in Compostela, New Bataan and Montevista in Compostela Valley province.

Media reports said two persons have died and another has gone missing due to the storm but the information remains unverified and is not yet included in the official NDRRMC report.

Evangeline Babate, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in Butuan City, said hundreds of airline passengers were stranded when all flights were cancelled at around 5 p.m. Sunday after the Butuan City airport tower was closed.

The CAAP said 32 domestic flights were cancelled as of noon yesterday due to the bad weather in the region brought by Seniang.

Media affairs division head Connie Bungag of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said Philippine Airlines (PAL) cancelled three flights from Manila-Butuan-Manila and Cagayan to Manila; PALExpress cancelled eight flights from Manila-Butuan-Manila, Manila-Cagayan-Manila and Manila-Surigao-Manila; Cebu Pacific cancelled 16 domestic flights from Manila-Butuan-Manila, Manila-Cagayan-Manila and Manila-Dumaguete-Manila, and two flights of Tiger Air from Manila-Cagayan-Manila.

Reports from various Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) councils in Caraga showed that in Surigao del Sur, some 12,140 residents have been evacuated from their houses in the towns of Hinatuan, Bayabas, Cagwait, Carrascal, San Miguel, Lanuza, Marihatag and Tandag City in Surigao del Sur.

In Agusan del Norte several coastal barangays in the municipalities of Jabonga, Santiago, Kitcharao, Tubay, Magallanes, Nasipit, Buenavista and Carmen were flooded, forcing thousands to evacuate, said Agusan del Norte provincial DRRM officer Erma Suyo.

Superintendent Froilan Caturla said that more than 600 passengers were stranded in Surigao del Norte ports.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) officials in Caraga have prepared 22,000 food packs pre-positioned in Butuan City, in addition to the 14,852 packs now stored in warehouses in five other provinces.

Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel said swollen rivers have rendered several bridges impassable and had isolated some parts of Tandag City.

Storm warnings

More areas were placed yesterday under storm warning signals as Seniang continued to pummel parts of the Visayas and Mindanao with intense rains and gusty winds.

The weather bureau warned the public to expect possible flashfloods and landslides as the storm is still expected to bring moderate to heavy rains in areas along its path in the next three days.

Seniang maintained its strength as it traversed the Bohol Sea yesterday afternoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

Seniang intensified into a storm before it made landfall over Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur early yesterday morning.

As of 4 p.m., the center of Seniang was spotted at 140 kilometers east- southeast of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, packing winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

It was forecast to move west-northwest at 11 kph.

Seniang is projected to be 100 km west of Dumaguete City this afternoon, 130 km south-southeast of Puerto Princesa City tomorrow afternoon; and 360 km southwest of Puerto Princesa City by Thursday afternoon.

PAGASA weather forecaster Fernando Cada said Seniang was not expected to intensify further within the next 24 to 48 hours.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, signal No. 2 was raised over Bohol, Siquijor, Southern Cebu, Negros Oriental, southern part of Negros Occidental, Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island, Agusan del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin and Dinagat province.

Strong winds (61 to 100 kph) may affect areas under signal No. 2 in at least 24 hours, according to PAGASA.

“These areas will have stormy weather with heavy to intense rains. Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides,” it said.

Signal No. 1 was up in Leyte, Southern Leyte, Camotes Island, rest of Cebu, rest of Negros Occidental, Guimaras, southern part of Iloilo, southern part of Antique, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Agusan del Sur. – With Rudy Santos, Helen Flores, Alexis Romero