11 dead, 11 injured, over 2,300 families evacuated
LANDO’S WRATH
LINGAYEN—Eleven persons died and 11 others injured while 2,301 families comprising 8,661 individuals were evacuated from 46 barangays in 15 affected municipalities in Pangasinan after Typhoon “Lando” raged across the province Oct. 18-20.
At least P250 million damages to agriculture and fisheries were initially reported while damages to infrastructure reached P243 million.
This report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) to the provincial board prompted the declaration of a state of calamity in the whole province in a special session.
The declaration of state of calamity enabled the province and its 44 towns and cities was made to access 30 percent of their five percent calamity fund to be used for relief operations.
As of Wednesday, the PDRRMO were still conducting search and rescue operations in 24 barangays of Bugallon, Aguilar, Labrador, Infanta, Mabini and Mangatarem affected by flashfloods as of Wednesday.
PDRRMC spokesperson Avenix Arenas said all search and rescue operations ceased as of Thursday.
Gov. Amado T. Espino Jr., who directed operations from the PDRRMO tactical operations center, clarified that the flashfloods came from accumulated rainwaters in the mountains and not from the swelling of the rivers.
Former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo were in Infanta and Mangatarem on Wednesday to distribute relief goods for the flood victims.
Of the seven fatalities, four (including a one-year old child) drowned last Oct. 20 when the banca they were riding in Sitio Barukong, Barangay Garita, Bani capsized.
Another one-year-old died when a tree fell and crashed on the family’s house in Barangay Ilog Malino in Bolinao while two others were pinned down by fallen trees.
The other dead were a man from Agno, another one from Mabini and a 63-year old woman from Bolinao.
Those listed injured included one in Bayambang, two in Bolinao; two in Manaoag, and one in Tayug.
The 15 towns with evacuees were Anda, Basista, Bayambang, Binmaley, Bolinao, Bugallon, Infanta, Mabini, Mangaldan, Lingayen, San Fabian, Sual, Manaoag, San Nicolas, and Mangatarem.
PDRRMO listed 68 other barangays that were flooded in nine towns, namely Bautista, Basista, Labrador, San Fabian, Tayug, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Rosales and Bayambang.
As of Wednesday, floodwater was still rising in Sta. Barbara, Calasiao and Dagupan City due to the continuous swelling of the Sinocalan River which is connected to the Tagamusing River where the Mt. Ampucao watershed in Tuba, Benguet is draining its water.
At the same time, four gates of San Roque Dam were opened and released water to the Agno River with an estimated discharge of 587 cubic meters per second. Eventually, this was reduced to one gate opened by just one-half meter.
All national roads and other major thoroughfares in Pangasinan were passable except the Caranglaan section; and the Urdaneta-Barangay Pinmaludpod-Calasiao road which was not passable to all vehicles; and the Urdaneta-Barangay-Inamotan-Manaoag road which was not passable to light vehicles.
Classes in all levels were suspended by the Governor on October 19 and 20. (Leonardo Micua)
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