TYPHOON CASUALTY. Responders retrieve the body of a man hit by an uprooted coconut tree in San Isidro village, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte late Sunday (April 18, 2021). Typhoon Bising has killed a man, rendered one person missing, and displaced thousands as it continues to blow fierce winds and dump heavy rains in Eastern Visayas. (Photo from Ormoc News and Update FB page)
TACLOBAN CITY – A man died after suffering from severe head injury when hit by an uprooted coconut tree at the height of Typhoon Bising (international name Surigae) as it continues to blow fierce winds and dump heavy rains in Eastern Visayas, displacing thousands of residents.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional office here identified the fatality as Alberto Wales, 79, of San Isidro village, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. He was declared dead on arrival at the Anahawan District Hospital at around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Meantime, in San Jose, Northern Samar, Louie Din, 40, went missing on April 16 when he and three other companions ventured into the sea to pick livestock from a nearby islet. His companions returned to their families on Sunday.
Rough seas have stranded at least 1,196 passengers, 521 vehicles, and 17 sea vessels in different ports of Northern Samar, Samar, Leyte, and Southern Leyte provinces. All inbound and outbound flights at the Tacloban Airport have been canceled since Saturday.
At least 13,692 individuals have been evacuated to safer grounds in Biliran, Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Leyte provinces. Heavy flooding has been reported in 42 villages in Northern Samar 24 villages in Eastern Samar.
Impassable roads due to flooding are the Biliran - Naval Road, Paranas - Taft - Borongan Road, and Taft - Oras - San Policarpo - Arteche Road. All have alternate routes.
“It is still raining in many parts of Eastern Visayas today. We still have to receive more updates from local disaster risk reduction and management offices and come up with more detailed reports by tomorrow,” OCD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Lord Byron Torrecarion said in a phone interview.
Power outages have been reported in Tacloban City; Ormoc City; some parts of Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte; and the entire Eastern Samar province.
As of Monday morning, the center of the eye of "Bising" was located at 250 kilometers east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration placed the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Biliran under tropical cyclone warning signal no. 2 since Saturday while the provinces of Leyte and Southern Leyte remain under signal no. 1. (PNA)
