Hundreds Dying in Philippines from Flooding . . . .
New Philippine floods kill dozens
Large areas of some provinces have been affected by flooding
At least 100 people are thought to have been killed by flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the northern Philippines, officials say.
Most of the deaths were in Benguet province, where landslides were reported to have hit several towns. In Pangasinan province, accumulated flood water had to be released from dams, hampering rescue efforts.
The country is dealing with the aftermath of two major storms, Typhoons Ketsana and Parma. Typhoon Ketsana left at least 300 people dead and hundreds of thousands stranded, while Typhoon Parma caused further damage just over a week later.
After the latest flooding, caused by rain from Typhoon Parma, the provincial police chief in Benguet said 75 people were confirmed dead. Other officials said as many as 100 people had been killed there.
Heavy rains continue to batter the Philippines
Olive Luces, regional director of the Office of Civil Defence, said deaths had also occurred in Mountain province, where at least 28 people were reported missing. "We are still accounting, but all in all our estimate is there were about 100 dead in the four major landslides," she said. "Retrieval operations are ongoing."
Seventeen people were reported to have died in the city of Baguio when landslides buried houses. "The rains in this area are unprecedented," said Glen Rabonza, executive officer of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).
UN appeal
In Pangasinan province, where about 30 towns were said to have been flooded, dams had to be opened to release the pressure of accumulated flood water. Benguet province had already been badly hit by storms. The NDCC said thousands of people had been stranded on rooftops and on higher ground.
The provincial governor of Pangasinan province, Amado Espino, told reporters that water released by the San Roque dam had flooded towns. "The dam is supposed to be for flood control but now it is so filled it is like it is not there. The water just rushes right through from the mountains to Pangasinan." Mr Espino said strong currents and continuing rain were making it hard to reach and rescue people in flooded areas.
The province's Vice Governor, Marlyn Premicias, told the Associated Press she had been receiving text messages from people needing to be rescued. "Eastern Pangasinan has become one big river," she said.
Lt Col Ernesto Torres of the NDCC told Reuters news agency that 30,000 people had been evacuated in the province and 60-80% of the land was flooded.
The UN earlier appealed for $74m (£47m) to help victims of storms in the Philippines.
It says about 500,000 people have fled their homes and are still living in emergency shelters and has warned of an urgent need for food, water, sanitation facilities, emergency shelter and health care provisions.
Gwendolyn Pang of the Philippine National Red Cross told the BBC that getting aid to those in need was difficult as travelling by land was often impossible. "Most of the areas are impassable because of landslides and because of the flood water, so we need to airlift relief food and also do rescues by airlift," she said.
Typhoon Ketsana hit Manila and surrounding areas on 26 September, causing the worst flooding in the capital in more than four decades. Eight days later, Parma blew across the country's mountainous north, bringing more rain. Meteorologists say the storm is still lingering off the coast of the Philippines.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8298221.stm
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Philippine mudslides, floods kill estimated 100
By TERESA CEROJANO, Associated Press Writer Teresa Cerojano, Associated Press Writer -
MANILA, Philippines - Dozens of landslides in the rain-soaked mountains of the northern Philippines killed an estimated 100 people, as a lingering storm and excess water from dams turned a portion of one province into "one big river," officials said Friday.
The latest calamity brought the death toll to more than 400 from the Philippines' worst flooding in 40 years after back-to-back storms started pounding the country's north Sept. 26.
About 100 people were feared dead in landslides in two provinces - Benguet and Mountain - along the Cordillera mountain range, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Manila, said Olive Luces, regional Office of Civil Defense director.
Landslides blocked the roads to the mountain city of Baguio in the heart of the Cordillera region and exact figures were hard to get.
"We are still accounting, but all in all our estimate is there were about 100 dead in the four major landslides," Luces said. "Retrieval operations are ongoing."
About 100 landslides have struck the region since the weekend, said Rex Manuel, another relief official.
Seventeen bodies have been recovered so far from Kibungan village in Benguet's La Trinidad township, which was almost entirely buried in mud and debris late Thursday, Manuel said. Up to 40 villagers were estimated to have died, while more than 100 were moved to safety, he said.
In Buyagan village, also in La Trinidad, only three out of about 100 houses remained visible after Thursday night's landslide buried most structures there. Some 50 residents were saved but it was not clear how many died, Manuel said.
In neighboring Mountain Province's Tadian township, at least 28 people were reported missing and several bodies were recovered after the side of a mountain collapsed.
Another landslide hit a second village in Tadian early Friday. No immediate casualty reports were available.
Forecasters said Tropical Depression Parma was still lingering off the northeastern coast for more than a week, dumping rains overnight. It was the second major storm to hit the country in two weeks.
Thousands of residents of Pangasinan province, about 105 miles (170 kilometers) north of Manila, fled to rooftops and scrambled for safety after dams released excess water from recent heavy rains.
Pangasinan provincial Vice Gov. Marlyn Primicias said she was getting frantic text messages from residents asking to be rescued, adding: "Eastern Pangasinan has become one big river."
Heavy rains, plus water discharged late Thursday night from a dam in Pangasinan, inundated 30 out of 46 towns along the Agno River in the coastal province, said Boots Velasco, the province's information officer.
"There was really heavy rain, so water had to be released from the dam, otherwise it would have been more dangerous," said the government's chief forecaster Nathaniel Cruz. "Even our office was flooded and our staff had to move to the rooftop. It's near the river that they were monitoring."
Heavy army trucks could not penetrate the area, and Primicias appealed for helicopters and boats to move people out of danger.
Mayor Nonato Abrenica of the Pangasinan's Villasis township said rain and water released from a nearby dam caused floods to rise quickly, isolating his town. He asked for food, water and medicines to be airlifted and for boats to rescue stranded residents.
The government's disaster relief agency said it had requested that the U.S. Embassy redeploy hundreds of American troops from the massive cleanup in and around the capital, Manila, to the flood-hit areas in the north.
Two U.S. Navy ships were positioning in the Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan to provide helicopters and rubber boats for the rescue mission in the province, said U.S. Marine Capt. Jorge Escatell. ___
Associated Press writers Hrvoje Hranjski and Oliver Teves in Manila and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
Large areas of some provinces have been affected by flooding
At least 100 people are thought to have been killed by flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the northern Philippines, officials say.
Most of the deaths were in Benguet province, where landslides were reported to have hit several towns. In Pangasinan province, accumulated flood water had to be released from dams, hampering rescue efforts.
The country is dealing with the aftermath of two major storms, Typhoons Ketsana and Parma. Typhoon Ketsana left at least 300 people dead and hundreds of thousands stranded, while Typhoon Parma caused further damage just over a week later.
After the latest flooding, caused by rain from Typhoon Parma, the provincial police chief in Benguet said 75 people were confirmed dead. Other officials said as many as 100 people had been killed there.
Heavy rains continue to batter the Philippines
Olive Luces, regional director of the Office of Civil Defence, said deaths had also occurred in Mountain province, where at least 28 people were reported missing. "We are still accounting, but all in all our estimate is there were about 100 dead in the four major landslides," she said. "Retrieval operations are ongoing."
Seventeen people were reported to have died in the city of Baguio when landslides buried houses. "The rains in this area are unprecedented," said Glen Rabonza, executive officer of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).
UN appeal
In Pangasinan province, where about 30 towns were said to have been flooded, dams had to be opened to release the pressure of accumulated flood water. Benguet province had already been badly hit by storms. The NDCC said thousands of people had been stranded on rooftops and on higher ground.
The provincial governor of Pangasinan province, Amado Espino, told reporters that water released by the San Roque dam had flooded towns. "The dam is supposed to be for flood control but now it is so filled it is like it is not there. The water just rushes right through from the mountains to Pangasinan." Mr Espino said strong currents and continuing rain were making it hard to reach and rescue people in flooded areas.
The province's Vice Governor, Marlyn Premicias, told the Associated Press she had been receiving text messages from people needing to be rescued. "Eastern Pangasinan has become one big river," she said.
Lt Col Ernesto Torres of the NDCC told Reuters news agency that 30,000 people had been evacuated in the province and 60-80% of the land was flooded.
The UN earlier appealed for $74m (£47m) to help victims of storms in the Philippines.
It says about 500,000 people have fled their homes and are still living in emergency shelters and has warned of an urgent need for food, water, sanitation facilities, emergency shelter and health care provisions.
Gwendolyn Pang of the Philippine National Red Cross told the BBC that getting aid to those in need was difficult as travelling by land was often impossible. "Most of the areas are impassable because of landslides and because of the flood water, so we need to airlift relief food and also do rescues by airlift," she said.
Typhoon Ketsana hit Manila and surrounding areas on 26 September, causing the worst flooding in the capital in more than four decades. Eight days later, Parma blew across the country's mountainous north, bringing more rain. Meteorologists say the storm is still lingering off the coast of the Philippines.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8298221.stm
_____________________________________________________
Philippine mudslides, floods kill estimated 100
By TERESA CEROJANO, Associated Press Writer Teresa Cerojano, Associated Press Writer -
MANILA, Philippines - Dozens of landslides in the rain-soaked mountains of the northern Philippines killed an estimated 100 people, as a lingering storm and excess water from dams turned a portion of one province into "one big river," officials said Friday.
The latest calamity brought the death toll to more than 400 from the Philippines' worst flooding in 40 years after back-to-back storms started pounding the country's north Sept. 26.
About 100 people were feared dead in landslides in two provinces - Benguet and Mountain - along the Cordillera mountain range, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Manila, said Olive Luces, regional Office of Civil Defense director.
Landslides blocked the roads to the mountain city of Baguio in the heart of the Cordillera region and exact figures were hard to get.
"We are still accounting, but all in all our estimate is there were about 100 dead in the four major landslides," Luces said. "Retrieval operations are ongoing."
About 100 landslides have struck the region since the weekend, said Rex Manuel, another relief official.
Seventeen bodies have been recovered so far from Kibungan village in Benguet's La Trinidad township, which was almost entirely buried in mud and debris late Thursday, Manuel said. Up to 40 villagers were estimated to have died, while more than 100 were moved to safety, he said.
In Buyagan village, also in La Trinidad, only three out of about 100 houses remained visible after Thursday night's landslide buried most structures there. Some 50 residents were saved but it was not clear how many died, Manuel said.
In neighboring Mountain Province's Tadian township, at least 28 people were reported missing and several bodies were recovered after the side of a mountain collapsed.
Another landslide hit a second village in Tadian early Friday. No immediate casualty reports were available.
Forecasters said Tropical Depression Parma was still lingering off the northeastern coast for more than a week, dumping rains overnight. It was the second major storm to hit the country in two weeks.
Thousands of residents of Pangasinan province, about 105 miles (170 kilometers) north of Manila, fled to rooftops and scrambled for safety after dams released excess water from recent heavy rains.
Pangasinan provincial Vice Gov. Marlyn Primicias said she was getting frantic text messages from residents asking to be rescued, adding: "Eastern Pangasinan has become one big river."
Heavy rains, plus water discharged late Thursday night from a dam in Pangasinan, inundated 30 out of 46 towns along the Agno River in the coastal province, said Boots Velasco, the province's information officer.
"There was really heavy rain, so water had to be released from the dam, otherwise it would have been more dangerous," said the government's chief forecaster Nathaniel Cruz. "Even our office was flooded and our staff had to move to the rooftop. It's near the river that they were monitoring."
Heavy army trucks could not penetrate the area, and Primicias appealed for helicopters and boats to move people out of danger.
Mayor Nonato Abrenica of the Pangasinan's Villasis township said rain and water released from a nearby dam caused floods to rise quickly, isolating his town. He asked for food, water and medicines to be airlifted and for boats to rescue stranded residents.
The government's disaster relief agency said it had requested that the U.S. Embassy redeploy hundreds of American troops from the massive cleanup in and around the capital, Manila, to the flood-hit areas in the north.
Two U.S. Navy ships were positioning in the Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan to provide helicopters and rubber boats for the rescue mission in the province, said U.S. Marine Capt. Jorge Escatell. ___
Associated Press writers Hrvoje Hranjski and Oliver Teves in Manila and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.