4 dead, 2 injured as Quiel exits PAR

MANILA — Tropical Storm Quiel (international name Nakri) has left the Philippine Area of Responsibility as of Saturday morning, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.

At least four have been killed and two were injured as confirmed by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Saturday morning.

Fatalities in Cagayan were due to drowning, electrocution and a collapsed wall caused by landslide. They were aged 10 to 36 years, according to the NDRRMC report.

Weather specialist Meno Mendoza said “Quiel” was last seen 590 kilometers west of Coron, Palawan, with maximum winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gusts of 150 kph.

“Patuloy po itong [‘Quiel’] kumikilos naman sa direksyong pakanluran sa medyo kabagalan po pero na sa labas na ito ng Philippine Area of Responsibility (‘Quiel’ continues to move in a west direction at a relatively slow pace but it has left the PAR),” Mendoza said during PAGASA’s 5:00 a.m. press briefing Saturday.

The tail end of the cold front resulting from the weather disturbance will bring cloudy skies, scattered rains and thunderstorms in Ilocos Region (Region I), Cagayan Valley (Region II) and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR),

Mendoza said.

A gale warning has been issued in the coasts of Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, western coast of Batangas, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan.

“Malalakas pa rin po ang alon, malalaki pa rin po ang alon sa nabanggit na mga lugar kaya’t pinapayuhan pa rin ang ating mga mangingisda na ‘wag pumalaot sa nasabing mga baybaying dagat (Fisherfolk are advised to avoid the said coasts as waves remain high and dangerous),” Mendoza said.

“Quiel,” which entered the PAR on Tuesday morning as a tropical depression, is the 17th tropical cyclone this year.

The slow-moving tropical storm began to leave the Philippines on Friday morning after being monitored over the West Philippine Sea for several days. —