MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:15 p.m.) — A total of 68 dead, 19 missing persons and 12 injured have been reported in the aftermath of Tropical Depression Usman, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Monday.
Among the 68 reported casualties, 57 are from the Bicol region while the remaining 11 are from Eastern Visayas, mostly due to landslides and drownings.
The 19 persons reported missing were from the same regions while the injured individuals were from Regions 4B and 5.
Search, rescue and retrieval operations are still ongoing in Iriga City and Tiwi in Albay, as well as in the towns of Buhi and Nabua in Camarines Sur in response to landslides and flooding.
As early as December 26, local government units have preemptively evacuated a total of 1,169 or 2,567 individuals in the affected regions. In Bicol, 1,058 families or 3,978 individuals have been housed in 10 different evacuation centers.
A total of 1,274 families or 4,906 persons in 36 barangays in Regions 5 and 8 have been affected by the typhoon, according to the NDRRMC.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development has provided the evacuees with family food packs and other relief goods. The agency also has standby funds worth around P212 million.
The NDRRMC situation report also indicated that 150 areas in Regions 5 and 8 experienced flooding, 29 of which have already subsided.
State weather bureau PAGASA said the LPA that used to be "Usman" left the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday morning but it would still bring cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms over Palawan.
The LPA is also forecast to enhance the "amihan" or the northeast monsoon over Luzon, bringing cloudy skies with light rains over Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon.