An official of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said Friday that 31 people died in Maguindanao as a result of floods and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Paeng.
Naguib Sinarimbo, Interior and Local Government Minister, said in an interview that as of 3 p.m., 16 of the fatalities had been reported in Datu Odin Sinsuat, 10 in Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, and five in Upi.
“Ang number natin sa ngayon ay nasa 31 na po tayo, ang fatalities natin. Sa Datu Blah Sinsuat, may 10 po na reported dyan, and meron tayo sa Datu Odin Sinsuat na 16, and meron tayong five na fatalities sa Upi,” he said
(Our number of fatalities is now at 31. There are 10 reported fatalities in Datu Blah Sinsuat, 16 in Datu Odin Sinsuat, and five in Upi.)
According to Sinarimbo, rescue and retrieval operations are still ongoing. The Philippine Army and the Bureau of Fire Protection have agreed to assist with the operation.
When asked if the flooding and landslides that died, the victims were caused by Paeng, Sinarimbo replied, “Yes. tama yun (that is right).”
Six people were reported missing in Datu Blah and three in Upi, according to Sinarimbo. He also stated that another missing person has been reported but has yet to be verified.
Sinarimbo claimed that an entire community was washed out in Barangay Kusiong at the base of Mount Minandar in Datu Odin Sinsuat.
According to him, the Datu Odin Sinsuat government relocated an indigenous community. Sinarimbo stated that a relative went to the Operation Center and reported that the entire community was already washed out.
“Natabunan daw yung boung mga bahay nila, yung community mismo (Their homes, the community were supposedly buried under a landslide),” he said.
The public information office of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) told that six people were killed and another six were missing in Barangay Matuber in Datu Blah Sinsuat.
A rescue operation is currently under way in Barangay Pura following a landslide.
Landslide incidents have also been reported in South Upi, according to Sinarimbo.
In the meantime, flooding occurred in Cotabato City. According to him, floodwaters have already reached the roofs of some homes.
Parang, Sultan Mastura, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato City, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Dati Blah Sinsuat, Upi, South Upi, Northern Kabuntalan, and Guindulungan were also affected by the storm.
According to Sinarimbo, the BARMM government has already assigned rescue teams to the affected areas.
Paeng has so far affected 78,000 people in the region, he said.
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council )has been reached out about the developments, but the council had yet to respond as of the time of publication.
PAGASA Bulletin
Paeng was spotted at 1 p.m. 155 kilometers east northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, or 245 kilometers east southeast of Catarman, Northern Samar, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kilometers per hour, according to PAGASA’s 2 p.m. advisory. bulletin.
It was traveling west at 30 km/h.
Due to Paeng, 15 areas are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal Number 2 and 43 are under TCWS Number 1.
“Due to the westward movement of this tropical cyclone, a landfall scenario or close approach to Eastern Samar or Northern Samar this afternoon or tonight is not ruled out. Afterwards, Paeng will move generally west northwestward and may traverse the Bicol Region tonight through tomorrow morning,” PAGASA said.
“Between tomorrow afternoon and evening, the center of Paeng may make another landfall over the east coast of Quezon (including Polillo Islands) or Aurora,” it added.
PAGASA expects Paeng to intensify further as it moves over the warm waters of the Philippine Sea, and that it could reach the category of severe tropical storm within 24 hours.
