Philippine National Police remove fallen trees Wednesday, July 27, 2011 which were toppled at the onslaught of a slow-moving storm Nock-ten in Legazpi city, Albay province in northeastern Philippines. Nock-ten unleashed massive floods and landslides Tuesday in northeastern Philippines killing at least 14 people with 9 more missing and several towns isolated, officials said Wednesday. The storm is expected to make a landfall Wednesday in Quezon province, south of Manila. (AP Photo)
MANILA, Philippines—At least 25 people have died, mostly in the Bicol region, including a family of five whose house was buried in a landslide in Camarines Norte, as Tropical Storm “Juaning” continued to slam into Luzon Wednesday, the Office of Civil Defense in Region V (Bicol) said.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Benito Ramos, however, told the INQUIRER.net on Wednesday evening that the death toll had climbed to 27, while 28 persons remained missing.
OCD Region V Director Rafaelito Alejandro said the victims died from drowning, electrocution, being hit by fallen trees and being buried in a landslide.
Alejandro said that of the 20 fatalities in Bicol as of posting time, nine were from Albay, five from Camarines Norte, four from Catanduanes and two from Camarines Sur.
According to Alejandro, nine persons were reported missing while 31 people were injured as of Wednesday afternoon.
Three persons were reported missing in Albay; two in Perez, Quezon; two in Catanduanes; one in Lucena City; and one in Camarines Norte.
Juaning (Nock-ten) has been very brutal.
Rest in peace for those whose lives have been taken. I pray that the missing would later turn up alive.
Several news agencies have been reporting the difficulty of access to some areas in Aurora and in some parts of the Bicol region. I hope the better weather we now have would allow them to do just that.