6 reported dead due to Aghon —OCD

Six people were reported dead after the onslaught of Typhoon Aghon, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) spokesperson Edgar Posadas said on Tuesday.

According to OCD, only one of the fatalities has been confirmed while the five others are still being verified. 

“Yung isa pong naitalang namatay sa Region 10 ay kinumpirma na po nila at naireport na po ito sa atin. Ito po ay isang 14-year-old na female. At siya po ay from Misamis Oriental at ito ay due to multiple physical injury po dahil po nabagsakan siya ng collapsed na puno,” said Posadas in an interview on Unang Balita. 

(The one recorded death in Region 10 has already been confirmed and reported to us. This is a 14-year-old female. And she is from Misamis Oriental and this is due to multiple physical injuries because she was hit by a collapsed tree.)

“Pero meron pa rin po tayong kinukumpirma na lima na biniberipika pa natin para kapag ma-confirm po, we will also report to you,” he added. 

(But we still have five reported deaths to confirm, so when it is confirmed, we will also report it.)

Reuters, meanwhile, reported seven deaths due to Aghon. 

Among the deceased were two men, aged 56 and 22, who drowned, and a 39-year-old man who was hit by a falling tree.

Six of the seven fatalities reported by Reuters are from Quezon province. 

Injured and affected families

Meanwhile, eight people were reported injured in Bicol and Northern Mindanao, according to the latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The affected population was 36,143 and most of them were reported in CALABARZON with 19,180 and Bicol with 10,349.

Evacuation centers were sheltering 16,426 people or 4,076 families, most of which were in CALABARZON with 16,024. Meanwhile, 5,614 people or 1,245 were staying in other places.

At least 22 houses in Eastern Visayas were damaged.

Of the 97 cities and municipalities affected by power outages, 61 have their supply back. Water supply has been restored in two affected areas. Communication lines were also back in two of four affected areas.

Lucena City in Quezon has been placed under a state of calamity due to Aghon's impact, according to Posadas. Two Quezon districts may also declare a state of calamity soon.

Impact

A total of 11 domestic and 1 international flights were canceled due to Aghon but seven domestic and one international flights have resumed.

Of the 60 affected seaports, 47 went back to normal operations. A total of 449 passengers, 25 rolling cargoes, six vessels, and five motorbancas were stranded in CALABARZON, Bicol, and Central Visayas.

Classes were suspended in 109 areas and work schedules in 72 areas due to Aghon.

Assistance worth P3,665,997 has been provided to the victims in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, and Central Visayas, according to PAGASA.

Assistance worth P3,665,997 has been provided to the victims in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, and Central Visayas, according to PAGASA.

Before his departure to Brunei Darussalam on Tuesday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered concerned agencies to provide assistance to victims of Aghon.

“Tuluyan kong inatasan ang DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), DA (Department of Agriculture), DOH (Department of Health) para makapagbigay ng assistance sa lahat ng mga naging biktima ng Typhoon Aghon,” he said before giving his departure statement at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

(I have instructed the DSWD, DA, DOH to provide assistance to all the victims of Typhoon Aghon.)

“Ang DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) at DOTr (Department of Transportation) ay kailangan susunod na dyan nsa first responder para maayos na kaagad ang mga nasira na infrastructures,” he added.

(The DPWH and DOTr must arrive after the first responders so that the damage to infrastructure can be repaired immediately.)

Latest forecast

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said Aghon has accelerated away from Luzon as it maintained its strength.

All tropical cyclone wind signals were lifted early Tuesday.

Aghon was last seen moving northeastward at 20 kilometers per hour east southeast of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 160 km/h.

It is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday afternoon or evening.

PAGASA added that Aghon, the first cyclone to hit the country this year, is "unlikely to directly bring significant amount of rainfall within the next three days." —with Joviland Rita and Reuters/ VAL, GMA Integrated News