Carina kills 5 in Batangas; 4 still missing

MANILA, Philippines —  At least five people died in Batangas due to heavy rains and landslides brought by Typhoon Carina.

Four of the victims are members of a family who perished in a landslide in Agoncillo town. The victims were sleeping inside their house in Sitio Manalao, Barangay Subic Ilaya when a landslide struck at around 9 p.m. Tuesday, the Batangas police said.

The fatalities were identified as Denden Rimas (27), who was pregnant, daughter Samantha (9), and Denden’s sisters Lyka (15) and Aisa Rimas (13). Police said the victims were buried by mud and died on the spot.

Also in Batangas, a 46-year-old man died when the tricycle he was driving crashed into an acacia tree in Nasugbu town at around 9:30 p.m.

Virgilio Aclan lost control of his tricycle due to strong winds and heavy rains. He was brought to the Apacible Memorial District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The incident occurred in Barangay Poblacion 3 at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, according to police investigators.

Meanwhile, in Angeles City, two persons including a minor died due to landslide, according to the Region 3 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Combined toll:  8 deaths

The number of deaths due to the combined effects of southwest monsoon (habagat), typhoons Butchoy and Carina remained at eight persons, the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

In a situational report, the NDRRMC said that of the 8 deaths, one is still under validation, two persons were injured and another was reported missing.

Four of those who died were from Zamboanga, one each in Northern Mindanao, Davao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Four died in two sitios in Barangay Pamucutan, Zamboanga City were trapped in landslides, while another fatality who was from Maramag, Bukidnon was found and retrieved from Pulangi river in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Missing persons

In La Union, two persons were reported missing after they were swept away by strong currents in the rivers of Bauang and Tubao towns on Tuesday afternoon.

Initial report from the La Union disaster risk reduction and management office identified the missing persons as Pepito Doria, 61, a farmer from Barangay Halog East, Tubao, La Union and a 48-year-old woman with dementia from Barangay Urayong in Bauang town.

Two fishermen were also reported missing along the waters of Limay and Corregidor, Bataan. In a report, Bataan police provincial director Col. Palmer Tria said Artemio Nabaunag and Dennis Calong, both residents of Limay, went fishing aboard a motorized banca around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Carina strengthens into super typhoon

Carina (international name Gaemi) has intensified into a super typhoon and continues to enhance the southwest monsoon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Carina was monitored at 395 km north of Itbayat, Batanes carrying maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 230 km/h and moving northwestward 20 km/h.

Carina will exit the Philippine area of responsibility today as it crosses the Taiwan strait and makes landfall over southeastern China this afternoon or evening.

Tropical cyclone wind signal No. 2 was still hoisted over Batanes while signal No. 1 was raised over Babuyan Islands, northern portion of mainland Cagayan and northern Ilocos Norte.

Stormy conditions are forecast over Batanes, while rains with gusty winds are expected over northern portion of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte.

Southwest monsoon enhanced by Carina will also bring moderate to intense rainfall over western portion of Luzon from today through Friday.

Monsoon rains are forecast over Metro Manila, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, and the rest of Ilocos region.

The monsoon will bring occasional rains over the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region, Nueva Ecija, and the rest of Calabarzon.

Scattered rains are expected over Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, and the rest of Luzon due to the monsoon. The rest of the country may see isolated rains. PAGASA warned of flooding and landslides due to heavy to intense rains.

Bulacan flooded

Ninety-eight barangays in Bulacan were flooded due to the enhanced rains brought by Carina, high tide in Manila Bay and the water release of Ipo and Bustos dams.

A total of 691 families or 1,466 individuals were evacuated in 15 evacuation centers in the towns of Balagtas, Bulakan, Calumpit, Guiguinto, Pulilan, Hagonoy, Paombong and in the Cities of Malolos and Meycauayan.

Evacuations and rescues

A total of 528 families or 1,509 individuals are seeking temporarily shelter in different evacuation centers in Central Luzon, including 33 persons in Bataan and one in Angeles City that were rescued by authorities, the RDRRMC3 report said yesterday.

On July 23, the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog evacuated more than 200 residents from the coastal area of Barangay Maguihan, Lemery, Batangas who were affected by high waves caused by Typhoon Carina.

The Coast Guard Sub-Station in Looc, Romblon responded to calls to help evacuate residents living near the Carolina Bridge because of the sudden rise in water levels.

Coast Guard personnel also aided residents of Sitio Sanggotan, Barangay Poblacion, Looc in transferring to higher ground.

In Oriental Mindoro, the PCG personnel also brought to evacuation centers residents stranded in Sitio Paraw, Barangay Sto. Niño, Sablayan and in Sitio Pandan, Barangay Parang.

Meanwhile, the PCG rescued fisherman Renato Terre Ceralde, 57, who was stranded in a river near Binday Dam in San Fabian, Pangasinan.

Bulacan dams release water

Carina has raised the water elevations of Angat, Ipo and Bustos dams, with the last two discharging water after reaching its spilling levels.

Records from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Bulacan showed that as of 2 p.m. yesterday, the water elevation of Angat dam was at 179.40 meters, Ipo dam 102.18 meters and Bustos dam at 17.41 meters.

Angat’s water elevation is 0.60 meters below its minimum operating level of 180 meters and is still 32.60 meters below its normal high-water level of 212 meters.

Ipo’s water elevation has breached its spilling level of 101.00 meters while Bustos dam’s water level has surpassed its spilling level of 17.35 meters. Both Ipo and Bustos have discharged excess water from their reservoirs. – Arnel Ozaeta, Ed Amoroso, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Evelyn Macairan, Ric Sapnu, Romina Cabrera, Bella Cariaso, Jasper Emmanuel Arcallas, Jose Rodel Clapano, Jun Elias, Cesar Ramirez