• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The death toll following the onslaught of Typhoon Tino in Negros Island Region has increased to 70 as of Nov. 7, consolidated data of local governments showed.
The Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that fatalities further increased to 53, with 55 still missing.
In Negros Oriental, PLt. Stephen Polinar, provincial police spokesman, said that 16 persons were reported dead and 11 missing in Canlaon City along with another fatality in Vallehermoso town.
“Three more bodies were recovered on Thursday afternoon during the search and retrieval operations, which will continue indefinitely in search of the other 11 missing persons,” Polinar said.
The majority of those who perished during the flashfloods were from Barangay Panubigan, the hardest hit village in Canlaon City.
A family of five was among those recovered.
Of the fatalities in Negros Occidental, 12 were recorded in Moises Padilla, 10 in La Castellana, eight each in Hinigaran and Bago City, four in Binalbagan, three each in the cities of San Carlos and La Carlota, two in Murcia, and one each in Isabela, Pontevedra and Himamaylan City.
La Castellana had the most number of missing persons in Negros Occidental at 18, followed by Hinigaran and Moises Padilla 11 each as well as six in Isabela and two each in San Carlos and Hinigaran.
Search and retrieval operations for the 66 missing persons in two Negros provinces are ongoing.
Polinar admitted they are facing difficulty in the operations, which cover a very large area, due to thickness of mud. | GB with PNA reports
