CEBU, Philippines — Four boat operators from Santa Fe town, Bantayan Island have been reported missing hours after the onslaught of Typhoon Ursula in northern Cebu.
According to the situation report of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), the boat operators were reported missing around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, December 25, 2019.
Rhee Telen Jr. of PDRRMO said they are still communicating with the local DRRM office of Santa Fe to ascertain what happened to the boatmen.
Aside from Santa Fe, a fisherman was also reported missing earlier in Daanbantayan. However, Telen said the fisherman has already returned home.
Bantayan Island and Daanbantayan, both under signal no. 3 on Christmas eve, experienced violent winds and torrential rains as Ursula crossed over Central Visayas on Tuesday night.
In Daanbantayan, over 44,000 individuals or 8,800 families welcomed Christmas in evacuation centers as they have been evacuated due to threats of storm surges, heavy rains and strong winds brought by to Ursula.
Even the town’s DRRM personnel needed to be evacuated to the municipal cultural center when the roof of their office was taken by the wind. /bmjo