By AARON RECUENCO
More than 500,000 people sought refuge in evacuation centers as typhoon “Tisoy’ (international name Kammuri) destroyed homes and structures while passing through Luzon and the Visayas.
Authorities said the strong weather disturbance left homes and other structures damaged, roads impassable due to flooding and uprooted trees and caused massive power outage in some of the areas along its path.
The biggest displaced people were reported in Bicol region, where Tisoy made a landfall late Monday evening, with 90,000 families or some 359,000 people reported evacuees in Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Naga City, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon.
“Power outage was also reported in the entire province of Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and many parts of Camarines Sur,” said Sherrie Ann Balingit, information officer of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol region.
OCD personnel are currently assessing the extent of the destruction left by Tisoy in Bicol region.
At least 12,600 families, or 41,000 people, were also displaced in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon.
The power supply in Macalelon, San Andres, Pitogo, and Gumaca; 14 barangays in Atimonan, all in Quezon province, was cut as some transmission lines and electric posts were toppled.
A total of 18,446 people from 4,434 families were also forced to flee their homes in Marinduque, Romblon, and the Mindoro provinces.
In Western Visayas, at least 1,800 individuals were also monitored to have moved to evacuation centers in several parts of the region, according to Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, director of the Western Visayas regional police.
In Central Visayas, at least 5,134 people were forced to vacate their homes and went to evacuation centers for safety, according to Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, the regional police director.
There were almost 300 evacuation centers set up in the entire region.
In Eastern Visayas, more or less 22,000 people evacuated before and during the onslaught of Tisoy, according to Maj. Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Eastern Visayas regional police.
Of the number, a total of 5,491 of them are in Leyte; 45 in Southern Leyte; 2,137 in Biliran; 11,577 in Samar; 748 in Eastern Samar; 951 in Tacloban City; and 1,043 in Ormoc City.
Thousands of passengers, on the other hand, were also stranded due to cancelled flights and the prohibition for passenger ships to sail in various parts of the country.
In Bicol region, a total of 4,104 people were stranded in various ports in Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and Masbate. Most of the stranded passengers are in Sorsogon with 3,681.
A total of 620 people, on the other hand, were stuck in ports and terminals in Western Visayas.
In Central Visayas, the regional police reported that a total of 1,083 passengers in different ports and terminals in the region– 237 are in Bohol; 296 in Cebu and 550 in Cebu City.
In Eastern Visayas, a total of 1,871 are currently in various ports in and terminals in Leyte, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City and Northern Samar.
CASUALTIES
In Bicol region, at least one person was reported to have died of electrocution but the OCD Bicol is yet to validate the report made by the local police.
Pamuspusan, on the other hand, stated that one person was reported missing in Western Visayas due to the weather disturbance.
In Lucena City, a police sergeant died when the motorcycle he was driving crashed due to slippery road on Monday night and was eventually hit by a truck while he was trying to stand up.
In Camarines Sur, 33-year old Marco Paolo Ursua died after he was electrocuted while fixing the roof of their house on Monday morning for the typhoon onslaught.
A defective wire reportedly fell on their roof, causing his electrocution.
In Capiz, 27-year old Dioluo Agam was believed to have drowned after he was swept by strong water current while crossing a bridge in Maaton town.
Water was already overflowing the bridge when Agam crosses it. He was swept along with his motorcycle.
In Albay, 35-year old Bien Panis was injured after being hit by an uprooted tree in Polangui town.
