‘Urduja’ leaves 26 dead, 46 missing in Eastern Visayas — NDRRMC

Passengers at the Araneta bus terminal wait for their respective buses that would take them to the provinces as tropical depression ‘Urduja’ continued to bring bad weather in the Southern Tagalog Region, the Bicol Region and the Visayas. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Tropical Depression Urduja (international name Kai-tak) left 26 in Eastern Visayas, with most of the casualties recorded in Biliran, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

The NDRRMC said most of the deaths were caused by landslides and drowning. Of the 26 dead, 18 were from Biliran, 2 from Samar; 1 from Leyte; and 5 from Eastern Samar. Forty-six people were reported missing, while 34 people were hurt.

An elderly couple was also reported killed in San Fernando on the island of Sibuyan in Romblon province.

Meanwhile, a report from the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas on Monday morning said that 27 were killed in Biliran, 1 in Leyte, 2 in Samar, and 2 in Ormoc.

Twelve were hurt and admitted to hospitals, while 38 injured victims were not admitted to hospitals.

About 44,000 families were brought to evacuation centers in the Bicol region, Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, Mimaropa and Caraga, NDRRMC spokesperson Mina Marasigan said in a press briefing.

The government has distributed P37 million worth of food packs and non-food items to evacuees.

The tropical cyclone left thousands of passengers stranded in ports. About 20 domestic flights were also cancelled.

Urduja weakened further after its sixth landfall over Palawan, the state weather bureau said midday Monday. /cbb