5 killed in Catanduanes landslide, three fishermen missing

By Ronron
October 28, 2007

Five persons, including three children, died due to a landslide Saturday night in Catanduanes province, while three fishermen are also reported missing.

A report obtained Sunday from the Catanduanes Governor’s Office identified the fatalities as Nelson Tanael, 37; Michelle Tenoria, 27; Nicole Marvin Tanael, 4; Reinhard Tanael, 3; and Ana Carmela Olat, 10.

Except for Olat who is from Barangay Osmeña in Baras town, the victims are from Barangay Sirang of said town.

The landslide happened late Saturday night after two days of continuous rains in the Bicol region due to the prevailing low-pressure area in the country, local officials said.

There are no available data yet as to the circumstances surrounding the death of the five victims, and even the landslide.

In Bato town, particularly in Barangay Binanuahan, three fishermen were reported missing. They were identified as Melchor Traquena, 31; Gaspar Traquena, 29; and Baltazar Traquena, 26.

No one could say if the three are brothers and when they sailed to fish.

According to a separate report of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, landslides also occurred in Barangays Balongbong and Siguban in Bato town; Barangays Boton, Pangilao, and Buhi Siay in San Miguel town; Barangays Lubas and Cabunganan in San Andres town; Barangays Panubanon and Dariao in Caramoan town; and Barangays Area 7 and 5 in Baras town.

The provincial report said some roads in Bato, San Miguel, and San Andres were rendered impassable due to the presence of boulders and soil as a result of the landslide.

Heavy flooding also happened in other parts of the province, as well in Naga City in Camarines Sur; in low-lying areas in Libon, Ligao City, Oas, and Polangui in Albay province; and in Baao, Bato, Nabua, Iriga City, Buhi, Bula, Pili, Bombon, Cabusao, Calabanga, Camaligan, Canaman, Gainza, Libmanan, Magarao, Milaor, Minalabac and San Fernando in Camarines Sur, the NDCC report said.

The report of the Catanduanes provincial government said a total of 11 barangays were affected by the landslides and flooding, causing inconvenience to 350 families or 2,100 persons.

In Camarines Sur, 123 families or 738 persons from three barangays in Baao town have been brought to different evacuation centers, said Engineer Alvin Magdaong of the Region 5 Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in a DZMM interview yesterday afternoon.

Some P100,000 worth of vegetables have been damaged by the flood and rains in Catanduanes province, the local government said.

Magdaong said Camarines Sur suffered the most as far as flooding is concerned because it is the “downstream of the Bicol river basin.”

“The rainwater from Albay drains to Camarines Sur. So, even if there is no rain there, it could still get flooded if there is heavy rain in Albay. The San Miguel Bay in Camarines Sur is the last draining point of the Bicol River Basin,” Magdaong explained.

“I hope it no longer rains hard… Right now, it is just cloudy in Albay while the sun is reportedly out already in Camarines Sur,” he added.

Clearing operations in affected roads in Catanduanes are also underway as of yesterday afternoon, the provincial government report said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that the low-pressure area hovering the country is no longer expected to intensify into a tropical storm or typhoon./DMS