NDRRMC hoping there would be no casualties from `Quinta’

NDRRMC Usec. Benito Ramos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Wednesday expressed hope that there will be no casualties from tropical depression ‘Quinta’ (international codename: Wukong).

NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos told reporters that there were no records of casualties from Quinta so far, which had already made at least five landfalls. It has weakened to tropical depression from tropical storm as of the latest.

Quinta is the 17th storm to enter the country this year, while its predecessor ‘Pablo’ (international codename: Bopha) left over 1,000 dead and hundreds still missing.

“Yung mga tao dyan sa Samar, Leyte, Central Visayas e resilient dahil dating dinadaanan ng bagyo ito (Residents in Samar, Leyte, Central Visayas are resilient because these areas have been hit by typhoons before),” he said.

He said the people in Davao region, which was hardly hit by typhoon Pablo, were less resilient as they were not used to being battered by storms.

Ramos noted that the only major incidents caused by Quinta  were a landslide in Sogod, Leyte, which closed the Maharlika Highway and a flooding incident in Buray, Western Samar, up to Taft, Eastern Samar, which also prompted for a road closure.

No casualties were reported from the incidents, he said.