Over 300 dead as ‘Pablo’ weakens

Project NOAH MTSAT images as of 9:57 AM, December 6, 2012. Screengrab from https://noah.dost.gov.ph/

MANILA, Philippines — Fatalities from typhoon “Pablo” (international name Bopha) escalated further to over 300, with hundreds still missing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Thursday.

As of 6 a.m., 325 were reported dead, with 29 identified. Most of them died from felled trees and drowning.

The Army’s record of deaths in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental was over 220 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Missing persons also rose to 379, while injured have gone up to 411.

There were over 200,000 affected persons, with 48,317 families or 229,734 persons affected in Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Davao region, Caraga, and Northern Mindanao. Nearly 190,000 of these were still served in evacuation centers.

Areas that remained without power include Siquijor, Negros Occidental and parts of Cebu, the NDRRMC said.

Recorded damages from Pablo was estimated P178.3M worth of agriculture, infastructure and private properties.

Three provinces were also declared under state of calamity: Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley, the NDRRMC said.

As of Thursday morning, Pablo, the strongest typhoon to enter the country this year, has weakened into a tropical storm as it moved out of the Philippine territory.