‘Glenda’ kills 7; spares Metro
DPWH chief reports minimal damages; 11-month-old boy dies after being hit by a wall Three members of a family killed when a wall collapsed on them in Lucena City Three fishermen reported missing in Catanduanes,
TYPHOON Glenda (international name: Rammasun) left at least seven people dead and knocked out power in many areas but it spared Metro Manila and densely populated northern provinces from being directly battered yesterday when its fierce wind shifted slightly away, officials said.
Still, the typhoon’s 150-kilometer wind and blinding 185-kph gusts brought down trees, electric posts and ripped off roofs across the metropolis of 12 million people where government offices and schools were closed.
More than 370,000 people moved from high-risk villages to emergency shelters in six provinces.
In a shantytown at the edge of Manila Bay, hundreds fled when strong wind tore tin roofs off their shanties.
Evacuation center
Most were drenched by the rain before they reached an evacuation center with the help of firemen and rescue personnel.
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said he was relieved there were no reported deaths after the typhoon sideswiped his city although its wind still downed trees and damaged seaside shanties, prompting more than 1,000 residents to evacuate.
“It was like a drill,” he said. “We hauled people away from dangerous seaside areas, whether they liked it or not.”
Elsewhere, a woman died after being hit by a fallen electric post in Northern Samar Province and two men, including one traveling on a motorcycle, were separately pinned to death by falling trees in two other provinces.
Three members of a family were killed when a wall collapsed on them in Lucena City, southeast of Manila, and an 11-monthold boy died after being hit by a wall in a house in Cavite Province near the capital, officials said.
Three fishermen have been reported missing in Catanduanes, near Albay Province, where Glenda made landfall late Tuesday.
With last year’s massive devastation and deaths from typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) still in many people’s mind, officials said 373,000 people readily evacuated after being told of the danger.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson said yesterday that Glenda has brought minimal infrastructure damages and flooding in affected areas during a National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) briefing yesterday.
Not extensive
“Surprisingly, we’re happy to see that damages were not extensive,” said Singson.
He said all national roads in Metro Manila are passable although some roads have minimal flooding.
Even those areas in Metro Manila that experienced severe flooding in the past, like Edsa-Magallanes and España, are still passable.
Singson said that the recent drainage and road works along España and the clearing operation in Maricaban Creek in Pasay City had helped to ease severe flooding in cities of Manila, Makati, and Pasay.
Even the low-lying areas of Caloocan, Malabon, and Obando have not experienced severe flooding compare to past natural disasters, according to Singson.
Moreover, the DPWH chief mentioned that national roads in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region I, Region II, and Region VIII are all passable.
Three road segments in Region III are not passable due to flooding and mud particularly in Bataan, Aurora, and Pampanga.
“So far, in Cavite we received reports of minimal flooding and damages,” he mentioned.
He, however, added that Calumpang Bridge in Batangas collapsed. The bridge connect Pallocan town to Batangas City.
The DPWH chief also mentioned that there is also closed national network in Region IV-B, specifically in Marinduque, due to flooding and landslide.
Meanwhile, clearing operations are already done in Albay, according to Singson.
Reiteration
Singson reiterated that most of closed networks in areas affected by typhoon ‘Glenda’ were due to flooding, landslide, or electric poles that fell down.
“As soon as it’s safe for our people to go out, we will immediately attend to these damaged infrastructures,” he said.
Glenda is the seventh storm to batter the country this year. About 20 typhoons and storm lash the archipelago on the western edge of the Pacific each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.