Four dead due to typhoon 'Ineng'

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon "Ineng" (international name: Goni) has left at least four persons dead in Cordillera and Ilocos regions, officials said on Friday.

Three of the fatalities were from the Cordillera Administrative Region while one was from Ilocos. A total of four persons were also reported missing while three others were injured.

A certain Yckir Mayon, 10, of Sabangan, Mountain Province died in a landslide, according to Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Cordillera regional director Andrew Alex Uy.

The landslide happened on Friday at around 4 a.m. in Sitio Tala in Barangay Namatec.

Mayon's eight-year old brother Lykher survived the incident but sustained head injuries.

Police Superintendent Cherry Fajardo, spokesperson of Cordillera Regional Police, said two persons died in another landslide in Bakun, Benguet.

They were identified as Erwin Celo, 26, and his brother Markim Celo, 21, both from Itogon town.

"The victims were in their tent along the edge of the road when a big landslide from the nearby mountain covered their tent," Fajardo said in a text message.

Citing a Red Cross report, OCD Ilocos regional director Melchito Castro confirmed that a certain Herminio Tabuyo, 47, died after he was hit by a fallen tree in Pinili, Ilocos Norte.

Tabuyo's companion, 67-year old Lhuiler Dahilig, incurred a leg fracture and was rushed to the Batac City Hospital, according to local police reports.

Tabuyo and Dahilig were riding a motorcycle when they were hit by a mango tree along the road in Barangay Capangdanan at around 10 a.m.

One person was also injured in Cagayan region namely Efren Cabugan, 44, who was hit by a tree branch in Uyugan, Batanes last Thursday.

Two unidentified persons were reported missing in Ilocos Norte and La Union. In Abra, two more unidentified persons went missing after they were swept away in a river in Barangay Dugong in Bucay town.

Close to 1,000 persons in two regions have been evacuated to safer areas because of the bad weather.

Of the evacuees, 355 persons or 71 families were from Cordillera while 421 individuals or 145 families were from Cagayan.