20 reported dead in Bicol due to Kristine —police

The number of reported fatalities in the Bicol Region due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine has increased to 20, Police Regional Office 5 (PRO-5) said Thursday.

“Ngayong alas siete ng umaga, nakapagtala tayo ng 20 na nasawi po. Ika-clarify natin na itong figure na ito ay subject pa rin ito sa validation ng DILG Management of the Dead and Missing,” PRO-5 chief Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.

(As of 7 a.m., we recorded 20 deaths. Let's clarify that this figure is still subject to validation by the DILG Management of the Dead and Missing.)

Of the total fatalities in the region, Dizon said seven are reported in Naga, five in Catanduanes, four in Albay, and one each in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, and Masbate.

The victims died due to drowning, landslides, and fallen trees, according to Dizon.

Four people were also reported missing -- two in Masbate and one each in Camarines Sur and Albay.

Meanwhile, Office of Civil Defense director Edgar Posadas told a Palace press conference on Thursday that based on their record, the death toll was 10, two were injured, and nine are still missing.

The fatalities were from Aringay, La Union; San Andres, Quezon; Albay; Naga City; Bagamanoc, Catanduanes; Caramoran, Catanduanes; and Palanas, Masbate.

He said the OCD's validated list of casualties and fatalities was complete with the necessary documents and attributable to local disaster units.

A total of 119,488 people or 23,517 were staying in evacuation centers in the region, according to the data from PRO-5.

Floods were reported in 722 barangays in the region, most of them in Camarines Sur with 562, followed by Albay with 74.

Many houses were submerged in floods in Bicol particularly in Bato and Milaor, Camarines Sur, as well as in Legazpi City, Albay, according to an Unang Balita report.

Due to lahar from Mayon Volcano, many vehicles were buried in volcanic sediments and rocks in Guinobatan, Albay.

In Nabua, Camarines Sur, a man was seen clinging to a tree in the middle of a strong current, according to another Unang Balita report. The man was eventually rescued.

Landslides were also reported in 19 areas including 10 in Albay, four in Sorsogon, three in Camarines Sur, and two in Camarines Norte.

According to a report on Unang Balita, seven people died in separate landside incidents in Albay and Catanduanes. Four people who are relatives died in a landslide in Caramoran, Catanduanes. Meanwhile two in Guinobatan and one in Ligao, Albay were also killed in landslides.

A total of 3,257 passengers were stranded in seaports as 26 sea trips were canceled in Bicol. Eight flights in the region were also canceled.

Due to the impact of Kristine, 729 heavy vehicles and 45 light vehicles were also stranded.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed 908 police personnel in Bicol to provide assistance to the victims of the inclement weather.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion said around 10 barangays that are highly populated in or near Central Business District 1 and 2 were flooded.

He said some residents were trapped on roofs calling for rescue.

“Meron pa rin po kaming nakikita at patuloy pa din po na nakikiusap. Yung atin pong mga rescuers ay patuloy pa din po yung kanilang ginagawa,” Legacion said.

(We are still seeing residents who are on roofs and they are asking to be rescued. Our rescuers are still making efforts.)

“Subalit nalilimitahan po kami dahil pa rin sa taas ng baha, hindi makapasok, hindi makapunta yung ating mga kahit matataas na truck. Ang kailangan po natin ay motorized boat o kaya kahit simpleng bangka,” he added.

(However, the deep floods limit our operations, as even big trucks could not enter some areas. What we need is a motorized boat or even a simple boat.)

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), a total of 2,077,643 people (431,738 families) all over the country have been affected by Kristine as of Thursday morning.

In its 8 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said the affected population are Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Caraga, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Over half-a-million Meralco customers, meanwhile, have been affected by power service interruptions mostly in Cavite and Laguna, according to the power distributor.

"There are also some in parts of Rizal, Quezon, Batangas, while the rest are in Metro Manila and Bulacan," Meralco said.

As for telecommunications, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) directed concerned firms to ensure continuity of services amid the onslaught of the cyclone.

According to PAGASA's 11 a.m. bulletin, Kristine was located in the vicinity of Aguinaldo, Ifugao, moving westward at 20 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 115 km/h.

Many areas in Luzon and parts of Visayas are under tropical cyclone wind signals.

The severe tropical storm was expected to cross Northern Luzon over the next 12 hours and may emerge over the waters west of the Ilocos Region on Thursday afternoon, according to PAGASA.

It will then move west northwestward over the West Philippine Sea and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon, it added. —with a report from Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK/VBL, GMA Integrated News