As reports trickle in, Ursula’s devastation unfolds: 8 dead, 6 missing in Iloilo, Capiz

ILOILO CITY—Typhoon Ursula left at least eight persons dead, including a 3-year-old boy, and six others missing in Iloilo and Capiz provinces as reports from areas cut off from communication started coming in.

The fatalities included three each in Balasan and Batad towns in Iloilo and one each in Pontevedra and President Roxas towns in Capiz, according to a report of the Department of Interior and Local Government in Western Visayas as of 6 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 25).

The report identified the fatalities as Danilo Abendanio, 62; Henry Alfuente, 56; Joemar Dela Cruz, 30 (Balasan); Roel de Asis, 41; Meme de Asis, 15; and Yanyan de Asis, 3 (Batad).

Those from Capiz were identified as Merlinda Baquilar, 53 (Pontevedra); and Edward Gautani, 12 (President Roxas).

No information was provided on the circumstances of their deaths but these areas were among those hit by flooding.

The missing were reported in Batad (3), Pontevedra (2) and Passi City in Iloilo (1).

The Office of Civil Defense and other government agencies have been hampered in getting and verifying information as mobile phone networks have been down in the worst hit areas.

The entire province of Aklan and parts of Capiz, Antique and Iloilo have also been without electricity since Wednesday morning.

Telecommunications companies Globe Telecom and Smart Communications have issued separate statements announcing that mobile and internet services were unavailable in several areas in the Visayas and Southern Luzon due to typhoon.

Globe Telecom said the worst hit areas included Eastern and Western Samar, Leyte, Capiz, Aklan (Boracay Island) and Roxas City.

“We wish to assure our customers that Globe personnel are doing their best to accelerate the restoration of services,” it said in a statement.

Smart Communications, in its statement, said its services were “adversely affected” in Leyte, Aklan, Capiz, Cebu and Eastern Samar due to damage to their facilities or loss of power supply.

“We are also taking steps to provide emergency communications assistance to the communities hit hard by the typhoon,” it said. / TSB