Over 135,000 displaced in Western Visayas as Paeng rages on

MANILA, Philippines – Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) barreled through the Western Visayas on Saturday morning, displacing more than 135,000 people in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

In its 5 a.m. update,  the Office of the Civil Defense in Western Visayas (OCD-6), two deaths were reported – in Tapaz, Capiz and another in San Joaquin, Iloilo.

Badly hit was Capiz where at least 21,263 families or 66,953 individuals were affected after floods inundated the towns of Cuatero, Dumalag, Sigma, Jamindan, Mambusao, Tapaz, Panay, Dumarao, Ma-ayon, Sapi-an, Sigma and Tapaz.

Floods were reported in 12 towns in Antique — Tibiao, San Jose, Patnongon, Sibalom, Hamtic, Tobias Fornier, Laua-an Culasi, Bugasong, Valderrama, Belison, and San Remigio – affecting 2,883 families or 12,772 individuals.

Other flooded areas include six towns in Aklan – Libacao, Altavas, Nabas, Kalibo, Numancia and Balete, displacing 8,196 families or 26,194 people.

At least 4,570 families or 20,729 people from the towns of Calatrava, Valladolid, E.B. Magalona and the cities of San Carlos, Sipalay and Bacolod in Negros Occidental also evacuated following heavy rains spawned by Paeng.

There were also 1,866 families or 6,890 individuals who evacuated from their homes in Dingle, San Enrique, San Dionisio and Sara towns and Passi City in Iloilo.

The OCD-6 report also showed that the 23 roads and bridges were rendered impassable while the Kalibo-Numancia in Aklan was reportedly damaged.

The provinces of Western Visayas as well as Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte and Cebu including the islands of Bantayan and Camotes had been placed under storm signal number one.

Based on the 7 a.m. update of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronical Services Administration, Paeng packs maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.

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