5 rescuers dead in Bulacan due to Karding

Five rescuers were killed in a flash flood in Barangay Camias in San Miguel, Bulacan, amid the onslaught of Typhoon Karding on Sunday evening, officials said Monday.

"Meron tayong casualty na lima. Lima po, ating PDRRMO (Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office) galing probinsya, mga nag-rescue. Sila po ang namatay dahil tumama po doon sa pader,"  San Miguel Mayor Roderick Tiongson said at a public briefing.

(We have five casualties. They are from PDRRMO who conducted a rescue mission. They died after a wall collapsed on them.)

A spot report from the Central Luzon regional police identified the five as Narciso Calayag, Jerson Resurecion, Marvy Bartolome, George Agustin and Troy Justin Agusin.

Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita, Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando said four of the five PDRRMO personnel were immediately recovered while one was reported missing first.

"Actually, lima 'yan. Apat na ngayon ang confirmed dead. Mga ano natin 'yun, team natin sa PDRRMO. Mga empleyado po natin 'yun," he said.

(Actually, there were five. Four are now confirmed dead. They were part of our team from PDRRMO. They were our employees.)

A report by GMA News stringer Rommel Ramos on Dobol B TV later on said the fifth rescuer has also been confirmed dead.

The police report said the remains of the five rescuers have already been brought to a funeral home.

According to Fernando, the rescuers used a boat after their truck broke down on their way to their mission. Due to a flash flood, a wall collapsed and hit them, he added.

He said assistance will be provided to the family of the deceased rescuers.

Some 2,000 people are staying in evacuation centers as some areas are still flooded in the province, Fernando said.

According to Tiongsion, 49 barangays in San Miguel were flooded.

NDRRMC report

In an 8 a.m. report on Monday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 643 people or 164 families were affected by Karding in 28 barangays in Cagayan, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, and Cordillera.

A total of 590 individuals or 147 families were staying in 34 evacuation centers, while 53 people or 13 families were staying outside evacuation centers, it said.

So far, P1 million worth of damage in infrastructure was reported in Mimaropa.

In a public briefing, NDRRMC Deputy Spokesperson Raffy Alejandro added that a total of 52,000 individuals evacuated from their homes due to Karding.

Alejandro added that the NDRRMC was aware of the five typhoon fatalities in Bulacan and the missing person in Camarines Norte.

The deputy spokesperson also added that 43 ports had suspended operations due to Karding, with  2,882 passengers stranded at seaports in the Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol Regions.

Operations at these ports were however expected to resume on Monday when tropical cyclone wind signals and gale warnings were lifted.

Power, communications

A total of 12 cities and municipalities experienced power interruptions. The power supply in one area has been restored, the NDRRMC said.

In a situation briefing with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said Nueva Ecija and Aurora still have no power supply as of 7 a.m. on Monday.

Other provinces that are partly affected when it comes to power supply are Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, and Quezon, he said.

For its part, Meralco said power interruptions due to Karding have affected over 1.226 million customers as of Monday morning.

Meralco said momentary and sustained power interruptions affected 1.226 million customers across its franchise area since Sunday, September 25, 2022.

As of 6 a.m. on Monday, there were some 51,773 customers affected by the interruptions, with the majority located in Bulacan, Rizal, and Marikina.

Meanwhile, two areas in Ilocos and Western Visayas are still experiencing communication issues, according to the NDRRMC.

Flights, classes, roads

Due to the threat of Karding, at least two domestic flights were canceled. A total of 2,737 passengers, 260 rolling cargoes, 24 vessels, and 13 motorbancas were stranded in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol.

A total of 488 classes and 328 work schedules were suspended in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and Cordillera.

Two roads are not passable in Bicol, according to the NDRRMC.

Strong winds and rains, as well as huge waves were experienced in Infanta, Real, and Polillo Island in Quezon, according to a report of Andrew Bernardo of GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog on Unang Balita.

In Aurora, authorities conducted forced evacuation in Dingalan as Karding brought strong winds, rains, and huge waves, according to a report of Russel Simorio of GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon on Unang Balita.

Despite the no swimming and no sailing policy, some residents were seen surfing through big waves in Baler.

Huge branches of trees were blocking some roads in the province. Authorities are now conducting clearing operations.

Meanwhile in Obando, Bulacan, the ankle-deep flood in Barangay Panghulo has not subsided yet, according to a report by Mariz Umali on Unang Balita.

In Rizal, rainwater from the mountains flowed in strong current to Wawa Dam in Montalban, according to a report in Unang Balita. Over 1,000 people evacuated in San Mateo due to flooding.

A P1.1 billion budget was set aside by the Department of Social Welfare and Development for its disaster response and to provide assistance to people affected by Karding, its spokesperson Romel Lopez said Monday.

Dams, transportation

Two Luzon dams — Ipo Dam in Bulacan and Magat Dam in Ifugao and Isabela — still had one floodgate open each on Monday morning to release water after Karding dumped heavy rains as it passed through the Luzon landmass.

Operations of the Metro Rail Transit-Line 3 (MRT3), Light Rail Transit-Line 1 (LRT1), and Philippine National Railways (PNR) resumed on Monday, a day after Karding disrupted trips.

PAGASA

Meanwhile, in its 11 a.m. report, state weather bureau PAGASA said four areas remained under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 as Karding continued to weaken as it moved farther away from Luzon landmass. These are:

• the central and western portions of Pangasinan (Santa Barbara, Bayambang, Mangaldan, Dagupan City, Calasiao, San Carlos City, Basista, Urbiztondo, Mangatarem, Aguilar, Bugallon, Binmaley, Lingayen, Labrador, Sual, City of Alaminos, Bolinao, Anda, Bani, Agno, Burgos, Mabini, Dasol, Infanta, Malasiqui, Alcala, Bautista),
• Zambales
• the western portion of Tarlac (Camiling, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, San Jose, Mayantoc, Capas, Bamban)
• the northwestern portion of Pampanga (Mabalacat City, Angeles City, Porac, Floridablanca)

PAGASA said these areas are expected to experience strong winds with a warning lead time of 36 hours and may pose minimal to minor threat to life and property. —KBK/KG/RSJ, GMA News