At least 13 people have died due to Super Typhoon “Egay”, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Friday, July 28, as the magnitude of its devastation slowly becomes clearer after the storm passed.
Personnel of the Philippine Army's 77th Infantry Battalion conduct rescue operation in Baggao, Cagayan during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Egay. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)
The NDRRMC said six of the fatalities were already confirmed while the other seven have yet to be validated.
Among those who died was a 36-year-old man who drowned while fishing at the Mansilingan River in Purok Punay, Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod, Negros Occidental (Western Visayas / Region 6).
The five other confirmed deaths were from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Jugileen Rose Sinforoso, 13, Ernesto Banezz, 55, and Frisco Marquez, 60, all drowned in Abra.
Meanwhile, Noel Lopez Jr., 16, died after being trapped inside their home due to a landslide in Brgy. Bakakeng Central, Baguio.
In Bontoc, Mountain Province, 38-year-old Mangintee Sagandoy perished due to a landslide in Brgy. Caluttit.
The NDRRMC said a total of 140,923 families or 502,782 individuals were affected by the typhoon from 1,612 barangays in Regions 1, 2, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and CAR.
There were also 8,890 families or 29,223 individuals who were temporarily staying in 479 evacuation centers.
Rescue and relief operations
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shifted to rescue and relief operations after Egay passed.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) utilized C130 and C295 aircraft to transport 1,100 family food packs (FFPs) to Basco, Batanes.
A total of 99 locally stranded individuals (LSI) were also accommodated and transported using PAF aircraft from Basco, Batanes to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City due to limited commercial flights, said PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo.
PAF personnel from the Tactical Operations Group 1 (TOG 1) and 505th Search and Rescue Group (505th SRG) also conducted humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations in Baguio City and Ilocos Norte.
“The search and rescue team, together with personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), worked together to clear obstructed roads in Barangay Loakan, Baguio City. Meanwhile, a separate response team in Ilocos Norte rescued and evacuated stranded residents of Barangay Barong, who were affected by the continuous rain and flooding in the area,” Catillo said.
The 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army (PA), which covers Northern Luzon, also repacked relief goods for the typhoon victims, and provided security and manpower during road-clearing operations in in Apayao, Cagayan, Kalinga, and Ilocos Sur.
The Army’s 525th Engineer Combat Battalion (525ECBn) of the 51st Engineer Brigade (51EBde) was also mobilized for HADR operations in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
Two light Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams composed of 65 troops onboard two KM450 military trucks and two SADKO trucks rendered calamity assistance to the communities affected by floodings, landslides, and flashfloods.
Meanwhile, the PCG rescued four workers who were trapped at a quarrying site at Balili River in Sitio Balete, Barangay Lower Bimmotobot, Naguilian, La Union.
Thirteen residents of Barangay Cabungaan, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte – including two babies and eight minors – were also saved by PCG personnel after they were trapped due to rising floodwater.
Around 60 residents from Sitio Sungyot, Barangay Nibaliw Narvarte, San Fabian, Pangasinan were also evacuated by the PCG amid the threat of flooding in their community.
The PCG also evacuated typhoon victims from the flooded Barangay Bil-loca in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.