2 dead in landslides in Cagayan town

CAGAYAN, Philippines – Local officials said on Tuesday, November 7, that two people were killed in landslides in Santa Ana town, triggered by heavy rains due to the convergence of the Northeast Monsoon and the tail-end of a cold front.

In a phone interview on Tuesday, November 7, Santa Ana town disaster management chief Mario Miranda identified the fatalities as Albert Ravelo, 47; and Richard Perez, 23.

Miranda said the two died after being buried in landslides in different villages in their town – Ravelo in Barangay Tapatan, and Perez in Barangay Rapuli.

Only Ravelo’s remains had been recovered, he added. 

Miranda said authorities presumed Perez to be dead since he was last seen in the area before it was hit by a landslide.

“We are having difficulties in retrieving Perez’s body because  the landslide in the area is thick,” Miranda told Rappler.

He added that some villages remained isolated as the road going to the famous Anguib Beach had yet to be cleared.

28,000 affected 

Meanwhile, the Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) reported that 28,000 individuals were affected by flooding and landslides.

In his latest report, PDRRMC Cagayan chief Bonifacio Cuarteros said most of the affected individuals – 22,265  – were from Peñablanca town. 

Cuarteros added that 1,941 people have been evacuated, mostly from the low-lying areas in Tuguegarao City. 

He said 14 overflow bridges and roads remained impassable due the swollen rivers and landslides.

Cuarteros said the province government was still under red alert as the water level of the Cagayan River was still rising.

As of 4 pm on Monday, the Project Noah monitoring of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) reported that the Cagayan River’s water level in Buntun Bridge has reached 10.28 meters.

The water level grew up to 7 meters over the past 3 days, Cuarteros said, but noted that they have observed a “slow rise.”

“It means it didn’t reach its peak (highest water level) yet, but we have observed the rise is slowing,” Cuarteros said in a mix of Filipino and English. 

Classes in all levels on Monday and Tuesday, November 7 were suspended as precautionary measures. – Rappler.com