5,000 evacuated in Mimaropa as ‘Ompong’ devastates north Luzon

Evacuees stay inside a dimly lit room as rains from Typhoon Mangkhut begin to affect Tuguegarao city, Cagayan province, northeastern Philippines on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Typhoon Mangkhut retained its ferocious strength and slightly shifted toward more densely populated coastal provinces on Friday as it barreled closer to the northeastern Philippines, where a massive evacuation was underway. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

CITY OF CALAPAN – At least 457 evacuation centers were activated to accommodate the 4,941 evacuees (1,148 families) who fled their homes in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan (Mimaropa) due to the effects of Typhoon “Ompong” (international name: Mangkhut), police said Saturday.

Seaports in the region saw 1,141 persons, 319 vehicles, and 54 ships stranded, Supt. Imelda Tolentino, Mimaropa police information officer, also reported.

Some roads and villages in Occidental Mindoro also became flooded due to rains brought by Ompong, Tolentino said.

Meanwhile, 279 search-and-rescue personnel were deployed with 1,075 personnel on standby.

As of this posting, boat trips plying Calapan and Batangas ports were still suspended.

As of 10 a.m. Saturday, Ompong was located 30 kilometers West of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, the state weather bureau said.