‘Ofel’ leaves 6 dead, 9 missing, over 10,000 people affected—NDRRMC

MANILA, Philippines—Six were reportedly killed, nine were missing and more than 10,000 persons were affected as tropical storm Ofel (international name Son-tinh) battered the country and moved away from the Philippine territory, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday.

NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos identified the fatalities as the following:

Sophia Recto, 88 of Torrijos, Marinduque; died from hypothermia

Rigel Saycon, 18, of Dumanjug Cebu; drowning

Solustiano Fabellon, 77, Concepcion, Romblon; hit by a fallen tree

Olive Bely Luna, 18 of Mansalay, Mindoro Oriental

Roberto Manongsong of Batangas City; drowning

Princess Najera, 4 of Batangas City; buried from landslide

Ramos said 10, 935 persons were affected by the storm. Also, as of 10 p.m. Thursday, 11,804 passengers, 156 trucks, 37 passenger buses, 379 rolling cargoes, 25 vessels and 12 motorbancas were reported stranded in the ports of National Capital Region, Central Visayas and Southern Tagalog, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Bicol and Northern Mindanao.

Ten were said to be injured from the storm.

In Bicol region alone, nearly P5 million worth of damage in agriculture was recorded.

Ramos said Central Visayas and Southern Luzon were hardest hit by the tropical storm.

Associated Press reported earlier that Ofel is heading toward Vietnam and southern China.

More than 30,000 people stranded at seaports and airports were expected to resume their journeys after storm warnings were lifted Friday and floodwaters began subsiding. With a report from Associated Press