Downed trees, fallen electric posts, and volunteer work crew greet Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos when she inspected the aftermath of typhoon Vinta on Friday, All Saints Day, Nov. 1, 2013. Photo courtesy of Alaric Yanos, Communication and Media Office.
MANILA, Philippines—One person was reported missing on Friday in the aftermath of Typhoon “Vinta” which lashed northern Luzon for almost two days, cutting off communication lines.
Authorities said Loridel Baldos of Quidaoen, San Juan, Abra, was reported missing by his friend on Thursday.
Baldos and his companion were fishing in a river when he was washed away, said Maj. Rey Balido, spokesperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
There were no reports of casualties from the NDRRMC as of press time.
The storm cut off communication lines in Cagayan province that even soldiers conducting road clearing operations briefly lost contact with the headquarters of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom).
Army Maj. Emmanuel Garcia, commander of the Nolcom’s 1st Civil Relations Group said he briefly lost contact with troops from the 21st Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Felix Benitez based in Masin, Alcala, Cagayan.
The battalion, as well as civilian authorities in the area, could not be reached from 9 p.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. Friday, Garcia said. Yesterday morning, the battalion was able to report through traditional radio communication that roads and bridges from Tuguegarao City to Aparri were already passable.
The troops continued to clear the Maharlika Road in coastal towns of Cagayan and were still assessing the damage in the area, Garcia said.
The NDRRMC said 116 families or 491 individuals were evacuated in Gonzaga town in Cagayan and Maconacon in Isabela province.
The government has P95 million worth of emergency relief resources, which include P3.7-million standby funds, nearly 50,000 family food packs worth P12.9 million and P78.75-million relief items that could still be augmented for any type of disaster that would hit the region, the NDRRMC said.
All storm alerts were lifted Friday afternoon as Typhoon Vinta left the country’s area of responsibility, state forecasters said.
As of 3 p.m. on Friday, the typhoon (international name “Krosa”) was already in the West Philippine Sea, some 270 kilometers west-northwest of Laoag City, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
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