At least nine people reportedly died, two were injured, and nine others went missing as severe tropical storm "Maring" hit Northern and Southern Luzon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Tuesday morning, Oct. 12.
In a situation report released at 10 a.m., NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said three fatalities were reported in La Trinidad, Benguet; one in Itogon, Benguet; four in Narra, Palawan; and one in Claveria, Cagayan.
Among the casualties were three children who were reportedly buried alive and their parents who went missing when a landslide hit Brgy. Central Ambiong, La Trinidad, Benguet around 8 p.m. Monday.
The reported fatalities -- aged two, six, and eight -- were supposedly eating dinner with their parents inside their house when the landslide occured. Authorities were checking as to the status of the victims' parents whose identities and whereabouts have yet to be determined as of posting time.
In Brgy. Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet, a landslide reportedly killed one person and injured one other. A flashflood also drowned four persons while four others were missing in Brgy. Batang-Batang, Narra, Palawan.
One person also drowned in Brgy. Centro 3, Claveria, Cagayan identified as Pedro Sanjilan, a 27-year-old security guard.
The victim was roving and conducting an inspection at an under construction seaport when he fell into the sea and was swept away by huge waves, the Claveria MDRRMO said. Rescuers responded shortly and Sanjilan was brought to the hospital but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending doctors.
One person was also hurt due to a landslide in Brgy. Abatan, Buguias, Benguet; three were missing in a separate landslide in Brgy. Dominican Mirador, Baguio City; and one was missing after a landslide in Brgy. Tuding, Itogon, Benguet.
In Badoc, Ilocos Norte, a search and rescue operation was launched by the authorities to determine the whereabouts of one person who went missing due to a flashflood.
"On-going validation po lahat ng reported casualties here sa NDRRMC (All reported casualties here in NDRRMC are undergoing validation)," said NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal.
STS Maring has since affected 478 families or 1,638 individuals in Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Mimaropa which consists of Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan (Region 4-B).
Of those affected, 247 families or 850 individuals had to stay in evacuation centers.
Pleas for rescue also flooded social media where several concerned netizens posted photos of areas devastated by Maring including La Union and Ilocos Sur.
"We have received messages in socmed asking for rescue assistance in particular LU and Ilocos Sur communities. These have been referred to regional DRRM council (RDRRMC)-1 for action," Timbal said.
RDRRMC support units were also mobilized in Region 1, 2, and CAR to provide augmentation forces to local government units' (LGUs) primary response teams for possible deployment to affected localities, he added.