Storm death toll in Central Luzon rises to 6–disaster execs

A resident wades through floodwaters that inundated a subdivision in Makati city, east of Manila, Philippines Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013. Some of the Philippines’ heaviest rains on record fell for a second day Tuesday, turning the capital’s roads into rivers and trapping tens of thousands of people in homes and shelters. The government suspended all work except rescues and disaster response. AP

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines — The death toll in the floods caused by tropical storm “Maring”-induced rains in Central Luzon rose to six on Wednesday, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said in a report.

The latest fatalities were Roman Sanchez who was electrocuted and Lodigario Plasilo who drowned.

Sanchez, 29, was retrieving some clothes and appliances in his flooded house on Purok 7 in Sta. Maria, Lubao, Pampanga at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday when he stepped on an open live wire. He died in a hospital.

The body of Plasilo, 53, was found floating past his house along the Meycauayan River in Bulacan.

Last Monday, a young boy, two babies and a 64-year-old man drowned in separate incidents in Bataan, Pampanga and Bulacan.

Rescuers are still searching for Rodrigo Telles, 69, who was swept by waters in Barangay General Luna in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija last Monday. His body has not been found yet.

Waters in four dams in the region continued to rise due to intermittent strong rains. Angat Dam recorded 195.87 meters above sea level (masl), Ipo Dam at 100.12 masl, Pantabangan at 191.25 and Bustos Dam 17.50. Authorities opened one gate at Ipo Dam at .30 meter, the RDRRMC said.

On Wednesday, 149 barangay (villages) in Pampanga were flooded; Bulacan, 71; Bataan, 36; Zambales, 20; and Tarlac, 11.

The floods affected 143,374 families (670,186 persons).

The Pampanga board, at the recommendation of the PDRRMC chaired by Governor Lilia Pineda, declared a state of calamity on Tuesday evening.

Pineda said the provincial government would tap P100 million in calamity fund to provide relief and rehabilitation to people displaced.

Local governments and the Department of Social Welfare and Development shelled out P4.8 million in assistance to flood victims.

Local governments maintained 127 evacuation centers, with 46 in Pampanga, 38 in Bataan, 24 in Bulacan, 13 in Zambales and three in Tarlac. These have been sheltering 2,680 families (11,206 persons).

The Aquino Bridge in Tarlac City has been closed to traffic since Tuesday due to strong currents along the Tarlac River, the Department of Public Works and Highways said. A damaged dike near this bridge was being sandbagged.

A landslide in Barangay Babo Sacan in Porac, Pampanga, damaged a bridge in Barangay Sapang Uwak, also in Porac.

In Olongapo City, a huge rock fell and damaged the house of Wilson Monteroyo in Barangay Hilltop Upper Kalaklan. No one was hurt. The incident prompted the city government to evacuate 32 families.

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