Pablo leaves 540 dead, 827 missing
MANILA — The death toll from Typhoon Pablo has climbed to 540 and 827 others are still missing, official statistics released yesterday showed.
Authorities feared the number of fatalities from Typhoon Pablo could surpass 1,000 as almost 600 bodies have been recovered in southern Philippines.
Besides, Typhoon Pablo made a U turn, veering back to northern Luzon. The typhoon center was located 85 km away from Laoag city in Ilocos Sur province as of 4 a.m. Sunday, said a report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) released Sunday morning.
Citing consolidated report as of 5 a.m., NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said that the number of missing people had increased to 827.
He said a total of 1,088 people were also injured from the typhoon.
The total number of the affected population is now pegged at 1. 09 million families or 5.40 million persons. Among them, 77,192 families or 368,672 persons were housed in 173 government- run evacuation centers, Ramos said.
“Bodies are turning up everywhere and the stench has become almost unbearable,” Captain Raul Villegas, information officer of the army’s 10th Infantry Division, told Xinhua by mobile phone.
The military official said army and police sniffer dogs are helping rescuers locate more bodies. “The chance of finding more survivors is becoming thin by every hour, so we have to double our efforts.”
Uy, governor of the hardesthit Compostela Valley, said P1.2 million ($30,000) assistance from local and foreign donors, including China, coursed through the Red Cross have greatly helped in relieving people’s misery.