'Santi' moves further away from RP; at least 13 killed

Ten people were confirmed dead while three more were reportedly killed after tropical cyclone Santi (Mirinae) unleashed its wrath Friday evening causing power outages, floods, and landslides in some areas in Luzon. The state weather bureau had lifted the remaining storm warning earlier hoisted over Lubang Island northwest of Mindoro. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) listed 10 fatalities in its 6 p.m. bulletin. NDCC identified the fatalities as:

• Sarah Mae Vargas and Rodrigo Rodriguez from Camarines Norte who both died due to hypothermia;
• Louie Alano of Catanduanes who also died of hypothermia;
• Flora Estacion of Camarines Norte who drowned;
• Tirso Ramos of Cavite who fell from a roof;
• Edsel Laviña and Roderico Cabardo of Laguna who both drowned;
• Marge Taiño and Julieta Zagure of Laguna who were pinned under collapsed wall and
• Edwin Capayas of Quezon who drowned.

The NDCC said Santi affected some 2,251 families or 10,667 people in 54 villages in seven provinces. Of these, 1,130 families or 5,173 families are staying in 23 evacuation centers. The list does not yet include three other reported fatalities in Camarines Norte earlier reported by Region 5 Disaster Coordinating Council Director Bernardo Alejandro. Several areas in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon also remain flooded, while areas in Laguna, Quezon and Rizal provinces remained without electric power, NDCC said. At least two areas in Camarines Norte province were cut off, experiencing both power and cell communications outages. In its 11 p.m. weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Santi’s maximum sustained winds was at 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, with gustiness of up to 120 kph. Pagasa last spotted Santi over the South China Sea, 360 kilometers west southwest of Metro Manila, moving westward at 22 kph. The storm is forecast to move farther away from the country and is expected to be 830 km west southwest of the National Capital Region by Sunday evening. Foreign weather agencies such as the US Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center and the Japan Meteorological Agency forecast Santi to hit Vietnam by Monday morning. - GMANews.TV