4 dead, 3 missing as monsoon rains pound Luzon

FOUR PERSONS died and three others were reported missing while thousands of families evacuated their homes as floodwaters rose in various parts of Luzon and Metro Manila yesterday due to the heavy southwest monsoon rains (habagat).

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported three people killed in Manila and Quezon City due to collapsed walls and structures saturated with water.

NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad, in a press briefing yesterday evening, said one child was reported to have drowned in Nagtahan, while another person was reported missing in Marikina.

In Santa Ana, Cagayan, the Philippine Coast Guard was searching for two fishermen reported missing after going out to sea on Thursday.

Weather forecasters have warned of more and possibly heavier rains starting today up to Wednesday due to two low pressure areas outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

In its 24-hour weather forecast issued at 5 p.m. yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned monsoon rains may trigger flash floods and landslides in Metro Manila and the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas.

“I urge local government units to remain on alert,” Jalad said.

In Central Luzon, over 7,500 families were reported to have evacuated due to rising floodwaters.

In Marikina, around 2,170 families or more than 10,000 residents near the Marikina River were forced to evacuate as the Marikina River began overflowing its banks.

The affected residents, mostly in the areas of Barangay Tumana, Nangka and Malanday, fled to 14 elementary schools, according to Ednie Dula, assistant head of Marikina’s emergency 161 agency.
Crane swept away

Motorists were advised to stay clear of roads near the Marikina riverbank. The main FVR Road was closed and traffic diverted to the Marcos Highway, Dula said.

Earlier yesterday morning, a private crane atop a barge in the river was swept away by the rains and strong currents, she added.

In Quezon City, authorities raised the evacuation alert for families living close to La Mesa Dam, whose water was fast reaching its spill level.

Some areas in QC’s Districts 1 and 6 reported chest-level floodwaters while one area in District 2 (Roxas, Damayang Lagi) reported water levels above the head.

Flights to Clark

Meanwhile many airline flights were either canceled or diverted to Clark airport in Pampanga due to poor visibility.

Canceled were two Cebu Pacific flights, one coming from Tuguegarao and another going south to Dipolog.

An All Nippon Airways flight from Tokyo (NH 869) and a Cebu Pacific flight from Hong Kong (5J 111), among others, were diverted to Clark.

The bad weather also caused a billboard to collapse and trip an electric line supplying power to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 4. Airport authorities said operations were not interrupted because of their backup generators.

There was one accident wherein a metal sheet from the roof of a terminal which was undergoing repair flew and hit the windshield of a parked aircraft. The plane, Cebu Pacific-Tiger Airways (Cebgo), canceled its Manila-to-Caticlan flight due to the accident.

The Manila International Airport Authority issued a statement saying that if the MIAA was found liable for the damage caused, it will pay through its insurer (GSIS) then run after the contractor to determine their culpability. TVJ

With reports by Jeanette Andrade and Julie Aurelio