Habagat, cyclones death toll rises to 19
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The death toll from the combined effects of Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon, or Habagat, has risen to 19, authorities reported Tuesday.
Both the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Office of Civil Defense reported 19 fatalities.
The landslide in Guisad Surong, Baguio City, accounted for the highest number of casualties, with local authorities reporting 12 deaths after search and retrieval teams recovered the last two missing residents early Tuesday.
The OCD said nine fatalities were recorded in Baguio City, while two people died in La Trinidad and one in Atok, Benguet, all due to landslides.
Four deaths were recorded in Rizal and three in Batangas due to landslides, drowning, electrocution and a fallen tree.
The weather disturbances have affected 2,270,862 people, or 646,676 families, across several regions.
A total of 919 evacuation centers are sheltering 94,997 people, or 26,174 families.
Authorities also reported 15 people injured and four still missing.
Damage to infrastructure has reached about P1.46 billion, while agricultural losses were estimated at P135.33 million.
At least 684 houses were damaged, including 45 that were completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. warned the public against sharing unverified photos and videos purporting to show the effects of the Habagat.
“Let us be discerning and cautious. Not everything we see online is true,” Nartatez said.
He said some images circulating online could be altered or taken from previous weather disturbances and warned that misinformation could cause unnecessary panic and make legitimate emergency advisories harder to identify.
“A number of kababayan need assistance and accurate information as a result of this calamity. This should be the time for compassion and bayanihan, not the time for any motive driven anger or any selfish interest,” he said.
Nartatez urged the public to rely on verified information from authorities before sharing weather-related posts.
