LEGAZPI CITY – Three persons died while 15 fishermen are still missing in Bicol due to Severe Tropical Storm Enteng, the Office of Civil Defense-Bicol (OCD-5) said Thursday.
In a phone interview, Gremil Alexis Naz, OCD-Bicol spokesperson, said the three fatalities are now being validated by the local disaster risk reduction management council of Naga City in Camarines Sur and Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte.
"The victims were a 57-year-old from Naga City who was accidentally electrocuted while fixing his shop; an 8-month-old baby girl who drowned in their house; and a 48-year-old male from Jose Panganiban who was found in Vinzons. We are not giving the names of the fatalities since they are still being verified by the Management of the Dead and the Missing Cluster," he said.
Naz said search and rescue operations are also being conducted for the 15 missing fishermen from Jose Panganiban and Mercedes in Camarines Norte.
"They were reported to be missing after venturing into the fishing sites before the weather disturbance became a tropical cyclone," he said.
Of those missing fishers, 11 are from Jose Panganiban -- Efren Engay, Ruben Balaca, Romeo Estabaya, Richard Buhatin, Benjamin Balaca, Jonald Dellosa, Victor Asurto, Sonny Boy Bermejo, Zaldy Bermejo, John Paolo Penaredondo, and Norbert Penaredondo.
The four others from Mercedes are Pepito Ramos, John Paolo Ramos, Jay-R Ramos, and Jovel Montuyo.
"We (OCD-Bicol) already requested air assets to the national DRRMC through the OCD administrator to help with the ongoing search and rescue operation," Naz said.
OCD also recorded that 546 houses were damaged by the weather disturbance in Masbate and Camarines Norte, 39 of which are totally damaged, while 507 are partially damaged.
"The houses were damaged by floods, rain-induced landslides, and fallen trees. The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Bicol is conducting ongoing validation for the reported damaged houses," Naz said.
Meanwhile, at least four national roads and bridges are still one-lane passable in Albay, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur.
Some 28 local roads and bridges were affected, 23 of which are not passable to all types of vehicles, while five are not passable to light vehicles.
Naz said 4,927 families or 14,695 persons were displaced by the weather disturbance. Of the total, 1,376 families or 5,523 persons are inside 125 evacuation centers, while 3,551 families or 9,172 persons are staying with relatives.
Around 39 cities and municipalities reported 344 floods, with 82 barangays still inundated.
There were also six rain-induced landslides in Pio Duran, Albay. (PNA)
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