The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Saturday said that 12 people were reported dead due to the effects of Tropical Cyclone “Basyang” (international name: Penha).
OCD deputy spokesperson Diego Agustin Mariano said the reported fatalities were recorded in several areas but are still subject to validation.
These included four deaths in Cagayan de Oro City due to a landslide, four in Iligan City, one in an unspecified location in Region 9 that is still being verified, two in Surigao del Sur due to drowning, and one in Agusan del Norte due to drowning.
The Police Regional Office 10 (Northern Mindanao) on Friday said four people were reported dead in a landslide at Zone-1 Sambulawan, Gabule Compound, Brgy. Agusan in Cagayan de Oro City amid the onslaught of “Basyang.”
Mariano said the four fatalities belonged to one family, including two adults and two children.
Two others were also reportedly injured.
Meanwhile, some 455,640 individuals across several regions in the country were affected by “Basyang,” according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), with Caraga bearing the brunt of the impact.
In its latest situation report, a total of 128,110 families in 695 barangays were reported affected by the cyclone, many of whom were forced to leave their homes due to the bad weather.
In Caraga alone, 390,966 people from 110,926 families were affected, making it the hardest-hit region.
Thousands of families were also preemptively evacuated ahead of the cyclone’s landfall.
Over 4,400 passengers were likewise stranded nationwide after trips were canceled in affected ports.
The NDRRMC said assistance amounting to more than P6.5 million has been allocated for families requiring aid, particularly in Caraga, as local governments continue relief distribution and damage assessment.
Although Basyang has weakened into a low-pressure area, authorities warned that heavy rains may still affect parts of Palawan, Mindoro, Western Visayas, and southern Luzon, urging residents to remain alert for possible flooding and landslides in the coming days.
