Six dead, seven wounded from tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay

Six people perished and seven were injured due to the combined effects of tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Saturday.

Of the death toll, two were reported in Benguet due to landslide, two in Rodriguez, Rizal due to rockslide, and another two in La Union due to drowning and electrocution.

Six were injured in Baguio and La Trinidad due to landslide while one was injured in Kapangan, Benguet due to a vehicular accident.

As of 6 a.m., the council said 74,755 families, consisting of 261,048 individuals, have been affected by the severe weather conditions, with 7,580 people taking shelter in evacuation centers.

Damage to agriculture and infrastructure caused by Luis, Maymay, and the habagat, meanwhile, has already reached PHP109 million.

The NDRRMC said the government has so far extended at least PHP7.3 million in assistance to those affected.

Meanwhile, the La Union Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said one of the fatalities in the province was a 45-year-old man who drowned on Aug. 4 along the irrigation canal of Barangay Rimos 1, Luna.

"The incident happened at 7:30 a.m. at Maluyo River within the jurisdiction of Barangay Rimos. The victim was fishing with his brother-in-law when he went into the river to put (a) fish trap but the water level of the river suddenly rose, and he was not able to get off from the river," the police spot report stated.

The PDRRMO estimated losses to agriculture in the province due to the effects of tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, and the enhanced southwest monsoon at PHP12.9 million, to infrastructure at PHP3.4 million, and to livestock at PHP205,950.

A total of 19 houses in San Fernando City, San Juan, Agoo, Bauang, Caba, Naguilian, and Santo Tomas towns were damaged, while two houses in Bauang and Naguilian towns were destroyed.

The PDRRMO also reported 46 flooding incidents in Bauang, Agoo, Bangar, Santo Tomas, Naguilian, and San Fernando City, mainly due to Maymay.

It recorded four landslides in Sudipen, Naguilian, and Luna, along with two mudslides and one rockslide in San Fernando City.

A total of 8,366 families, consisting of 26,612 individuals, in 192 barangays from 17 municipalities have been affected by the weather disturbances, the PDRRMO said.

The provincial government of La Union, local government units, and national government agencies continue to provide assistance to the affected families. (PNA)