MASBATE police clear 'Opong' debris.
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – Three people were reported dead after tropical cyclone “Opong” slammed into Masbate in the early hours of Friday, Sept. 26, authorities said.
Ian Nicholas Bueno, spokesperson of the Masbate Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said two fatalities were from Masbate City and one was from the town of Monreal in Ticao Island.
Bueno said one of the victims in Masbate City was killed when a wall collapsed amid strong winds while the other drowned during the onslaught of the typhoon.
The casualty in Monreal died after being struck by a fallen tree.
He added that the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM) unit will confirm if the deaths were directly related to the typhoon.
Gremil Naz, spokesperson of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Bicol, said authorities are still determining if another reported death in Mercedes, Camarines Norte was caused by the typhoon.
Naz said that the incident in Mercedes occurred before the storm hit the Bicol region.
Local disaster officials continue to assess the damage and monitor affected areas.