Baguio mayor says death due to landslide still unconfirmed

Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan said earlier reports of typhoon casualty due to landslide in Barangay Bakakeng Central on Saturday morning remain unconfirmed.

“Hindi kumpirmado, dalawang injured lang na tinakbo sa ospital [It is still unconfirmed, only two injured people taken to the hospital],” Domogan said in an interview with DZMM.

Previous information stated that a female resident of Barangay Bakakeng died after the landmass where their house was located collapsed around 9:00 a.m. due to continuous rains and strong winds brought by Typhoon “Ompong.”

Details from a DZMM report stated that the woman’s body was recovered an hour after the incident.  Emergency responders tried to revive the person, whose mouth was already filled with mud, after they retrieved her body.  Her eyes were also reportedly dilated already, although she was still rushed to a hospital.

Baguio, including the whole province of Benguet, is still under Signal No. 3, according to weather bureau Pagasa.

In its 1:00 p.m. bulletin, “Ompong” was last spotted 85 kilometers west of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, with maximum sustained winds of 170 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 260 kph. /jpv