QC child first reported fatality of ‘Mario’

MANILA, Philippines – A two-year-old girl in Quezon City was the first fatality of the continuous rains spawned by Tropical Storm “Mario.”

Trapped residents are rescued by volunteers after continued heavy monsoon rains spawned by tropical storm Fung-Wong (local name Mario) flooded Marikina city, east of Manila, Philippines and most parts of the metropolis Friday, Sept. 19, 2014. Heavy rains due to a storm and the seasonal monsoon caused widespread flooding Friday in the Philippine capital and nearby provinces, shutting down schools and government offices. Local authorities reported thousands were evacuated early Friday from severely inundated communities, some under rapid-flowing flood waters more than neck high.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Alexander Pama said in a televised briefing that the child was from Bagong Silang, Quezon City who drowned Friday.

Two other reported casualties have not yet been verified, he said.

Around 470,000 people have so far been displaced by the torrential rains that brought most of Metro Manila to a standstill.

Pama said that the worst floods are in Barangay (village) Tumana in Marikina City.

“We expect the rains will continue up to later in the evening so we are advising evacuation,” Pama said.

Floods have affected more than 100 localities most from the monsoon that was being sucked by the tropical storm.

Cainta, Rizal has already been placed under a state of calamity and around 6,400 people have been placed in evacuations centers already.

“We cannot say yet whether this was as worse as Ondoy,” Pama said.

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