‘Igme’ leaves 10 dead, 4 missing

Ten people died, 11 were injured and four went missing yesterday as typhoon "Igme" rampaged through Central and Northern Luzon and the Visayas and Mindanao before moving toward southern Taiwan.

Baguio City was in darkness last night after the Benguet Electric Cooperative cut off power because of toppled trees.

Electricity has yet to be restored in the provinces of Abra and Kalinga.

The Red Cross also reported blackouts in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and some parts of Cagayan.

Authorities closed Kennon and Halsema Roads to traffic, leaving only Marcos and Naguillan highways as the major routes to Baguio.

Igme toppled electric posts and slashed power lines in Cagayan province, causing intermittent brownouts throughout yesterday.

A tornado also struck three towns in Ilocos Norte.

Classes in some provinces in Central and Northern Luzon were suspended because of heavy rains and strong winds.

In Ilocos Norte, Joselito Curammeng, 54, died after being hit by a flying galvanized iron sheet when a tornado struck Pagudpud town.

A 35-year-old man known only as Basilio drowned in Barangay Nalvo in Laoag City at the height of the typhoon.

Lito Gorospe, Ilocos Norte provincial government spokesman, said he and other rescuers tried to revive Basilio to no avail.

In Mindanao, Ernesto Gurie and Doloy Legarte of Sarangani province, and Armando Grejarte and Salvacio Manlunas of North Cotabato drowned in flash floods in the towns of Alamada and Maasim.

In Kalinga, three people died in an accident as they were traveling by car at the height of the typhoon yesterday.

They were Mary Jane Balisi, Edzel Agapiyto and Marilyn Molang, all of Tabuk town in Kalinga.

Landslides in La Trinidad, Benguet also injured Mamerto Cujon, Linda Oida and Marzan Ramos. They were taken to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

In Iba, Zambales, the Red Cross gave first aid to 18 crewmen of the cargo ship M/V Sunshine King, which ran aground in Barangay Sto. Rosario.

Eight were injured, including chief mate Paulino Bajasa, 27, chief engineer Gerwin Fortuna, 36, seaman Timoteo Lingcopines, 47, and apprentice Niño Planco, 22.

The captain, Jovito Cutamura, ordered the crew to abandon ship when he felt that it was sinking.

In Abra, Benigno Paderes, 30, of Sallapadan town, was reported missing an hour after he was said to have been swept away by rampaging waters of the Abra River.

An unidentified man was also missing in flashfloods in the southern town of Libungan.

Ferry services were mostly suspended as the authorities barred seacraft weighing less than 100 tons from putting out to sea.

Six domestic flights were canceled, but international flights were not affected.

Public Storm Signal No. 4 was raised yesterday morning

over Northern Cagayan, including the Calayan group of islands, Apayao and Ilocos Norte.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said strong winds from Igme can bring extensive damage to coconut plantations, and many big trees could be uprooted.

"In the overall, damage to the affected communities can be heavy as the situation is potentially very destructive to communities," PAGASA said.

"Rice and corn plantation may (also) suffer severe damage."

In areas falling under Signal 4, buildings of mixed construction materials may be severely damaged and electrical power and communication services may be disrupted, PAGASA added.

But Not A Drop To Drink

Despite the heavy rains, the water level at Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s main source of drinking water, has continued to drop.

Raul Agustin, operations officer of the provincial disaster coordinating office, said as of yesterday morning, the elevation at the reservoir was marked at 168.28, which is .21 meters lower than Monday’s reading of 168.49 meters.

However, officials of Angat Dam assured Metro Manila residents of continued supply of water and electricity.

In Tarlac, classes in the elementary level were suspended because of Igme’s onslaught.

Tarlac Gov. Jose Yap has ordered a 24-hour watch of flood-prone barangays along the Tarlac and Rio Chico rivers, as well as their tributaries.

Retired Brig. Gen. Virgilio Florendo, provincial disaster coordinating council head, said they have warned residents of low-lying barangays to be prepared in case the waterways rise to "critical" levels.

Florendo said the Tarlac River, which stretches from the O’Donnell River in Capas and snakes through Tarlac City and the province’s northern towns to the waterways of Pangasinan, usually overflows during downpours.

It is one of the major catch basins of floodwaters cascading down the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo and the rest of Central Luzon’s mountain ranges, he added.

Florendo said all roads in the province are passable, except for those leading to upland communities in Mayantoc town due to intermittent landslides.

Waterways in neighboring Pampanga, which serve as the Rio Chico’s outfalls, remained clogged with volcanic debris from Mt. Pinatubo when it erupted in 1991, he added.

In Cagayan, 11 towns went under water as Igme brought heavy rains and strong winds in the northern part of the province.

Cagayan Gov. Edgar Lara said a state of calamity will be declared in the affected areas as he appealed to President Arroyo for assistance.

Cagayan Valley police director Senior Superintendent Jeffrey Soriano said he has ordered his men on stand-by so that they can immediately respond to emergency calls.

Elvira Salina, Office of Civil Defense regional director, said the towns of Sta. Ana, Sta. Teresita, Buguey, Aparri, Abulug, Allacapan Claveria, Sta. Praxedes, Sanchez Mira, Alcala and Baggao were the hardest hit towns of Cagayan.

Salina said in Baggao town, some 3,000 families were evacuated as Pared River, a tributary of the Cagayan River, overflowed and flooded the town.

In other towns, they have yet to account for the calamity victims due to lack of communications, she added.

Salina said electricity was cut off in the 11 affected towns to avoid accidents as strong winds made electric posts tilt and sway.

Flood waters in Baggao and Alcala towns have reached up to five feet, she added.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office has estimated at P15 million the damage to crops in Cagayan.

However, Eva Liza Agamata of the Civil Defense Office said no deaths or injuries have been reported as of yesterday.

In Dagupan City, heavy rains and strong winds from Igme caused some towns in Pangasinan to be flooded and the suspension of classes in elementary and high school.

As of yesterday morning, some barangays in San Fabian and San Jacinto towns remained flooded three to four feet deep.

No barangays in Dagupan City went under water because of the efficient flood control systems, said information officer Butch Velasco.

Meanwhile, provincial agriculturist Jose Almendares said the rains are favorable for the planting season in August.

"The rainwater is welcome because we need one week more of rain showers because it is ideal for the planting season next month," he said.

They have distributed seeds in June ready for planting first week of July, he added.

In Negros Occidental, 11 houses were damaged after a tornado hit Barangay Camang-Camang. — Felix de los Santos, Artemio Dumlao, Charlie Lagasca, Teddy Molina, James Mananghaya, Jaime Laude, Sandy Araneta, Benjie Villa, Eva Visperas, Lito Salatan, AFP