‘Odette’ kills 2, injures 3
SUPER Typhoon Odette lashed different parts of Eastern Visayas and Mindanao on Thursday leaving at least two dead and three injured with six reported missing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.
PNP chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos said their disaster response units also rescued 39 individuals in 33 separate operations in different areas of Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao.
Initial reports sent to the PNP Command Center (PCC) in Camp Crame indicated two fatalities and three injured persons in Northern Mindanao and six missing in Western Visayas.
Carlos said 16 persons were rescued in Eastern Visayas while 23 persons were rescued in Northern Mindanao on the initial onslaught of “Odette” on Thursday.
The PNP fielded 3,649 police disaster response personnel to affected areas and made available a 7,335-strong standby support force for rapid deployment in case of further contingency, Carlos said.
“Their mission is to assist DSWD, local DRRMC, and local government units in maintaining order and security in 7,719 evacuation centers housing 37,665 evacuated families composed of 119,954 individuals in affected areas in Bicol region; western, central and eastern Visayas; western and northern Mindanao; and Caraga region,” he added.
A total of 1,606 police personnel were likewise deployed in evacuation centers while 435 are deployed in evacuated communities to provide security to abandoned residences.
The PCC reported that 2,910 passengers and 1,551 vehicles were stranded in different seaports in seven regions after 112 interisland vessels were grounded.
The PCC also reported power outages in 83 areas in Regions 8, 9 and 10; and disruption of mobile cellular telecommunication service in 369 areas in six regions.
Carlos said all other areas along the track of the super typhoon in Central and Western Visayas and Mimaropa regions have been alerted to preposition disaster response personnel, resources and equipment within close but safe proximity to thriving communities in perennial hazard-prone areas.
Local PNP units were also instructed to assist the DPWH and LGUs in road clearing operations for debris, obstruction and driving hazards to ensure unhampered passage of emergency response vehicles and relief and supply convoys, the top cop added.
Rescued in the waters of Bgy. Binalbagan in Negros Occidental were Joel Tipon and Noel dela Cruz Jr., both residents of Sitio Pasil in Bgy. Enclaro.
