Typhoon “Agaton” has now killed 167 people as search, rescue, and retrieval operations continue in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) which was badly hit by landslides and flashflood, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Black Saturday, April 16.
In a situational report, NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said 151 persons were reported in Eastern Visayas where major landslides buried several houses in Baybay City and Abuyog town in Leyte province.
Meanwhile, there were 11 persons who died in Western Visayas (Region 6), three in Davao (Region 11), and two in Central Visayas (Region 7).
Rescuers fear that the death toll might go even higher since there were 110 people reported missing, including 104 in Eastern Visayas. There were also eight injured individuals.
President Duterte visited and conducted an aerial inspection in Baybay City, Leyte on Good Friday.
He was accompanied by Jalad, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista, and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go in the distribution of relief items and financial assistance to the typhoon victims.
Agaton, which dissipated last Wednesday, already affected 562,548 families or 1,939,514 individuals as of Saturday.
A total of 160,920 families or 348,359 individuals were also rendered homeless by Agaton, including around 209,000 who were staying in evacuation centers.
The first typhoon to hit the country this year also destroyed P242,239,927.31 worth of agriculture and P6,950,000 worth of infrastructure in Regions 6, 8, 10, 12, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The NDRRMC has dsitributed a total of P48,536,845.18 worth of assistance to the victims of Agaton.
The bulk of help came in the form of family food packs that were distributed to the evacuees which amounted to P 33,851,589.02.
The NDRRMC also handed out bottled water, hygiene kits, sleeping kits, modular tents, blankets, shelter repair kits, financial assistance, and other non-food items