19 injured in Urduja’s onslaught – NDRRMC

MANILA, Philippines – The number of injuries due to the onslaught of storm Urduja (Kai-tak) is now at 19, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday, December 17.

The injuries were sustained mostly from falling debris, vehicular accidents, and landslides, according to Romina Marasigan, spokesperson of the NDRRMC, based on a report of the Department of Health (DOH).

Three others were earlier reported dead on Saturday, December 16. Marasigan said the government is still collating reports from the ground. 

She added that most of the landslides were minor but they are still waiting for other reports to come in. “We are looking into this. We are trying to get details,” she said.

Urduja was hardly moving for a couple of days in the eastern seaboard of the Visayas, dumping rains that caused massive flooding.

“Scattered to widespread ‘yung rains na naranasan natin so talagang malaking mga areas talaga ang binaha. Hindi ba naging almost stationary ‘yung bagyo, kaya malaking lugar talaga ‘yung binaha,” Marasigan said.

(The rains were scattered to widespread, causing flooding in various areas. Urduja was almost stationary so it really caused floods)

Urduja, a tropical storm which has since weakened into a tropical depression, maintained its strength as it moved in the vicinity of Romblon early Sunday afternoon after weakening in the morning.

It still has maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 90 km/h. Fewer areas are under signal number 1. (READ: EXPLAINER: How tropical cyclones form) – Rappler.com