Lannie leaves 2 dead in Cebu
A landslide was reported in the mountain Barangay of Lanipga in Consolacion town on Monday, October 5. | Photo courtesy of LGU Consolacion
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Tropical Depression Lannie left at least two casualties in Cebu.
Reports from local disaster and rescue units here confirmed that a 34-year-old Indian national, identified as Valjinder Singh, died after being swept away by strong currents of the river in Consolacion town.
Valjinder, together with his girlfriend named Jezel Natingga, attempted to cross a river in Barangay Nangka around 7:40 p.m. on Monday, October 4.
Onlookers and nearby residents tried to rescue the couple but they only managed to save Natingga from the rush of water.
Valjinder’s body was found by authorities off the seawaters of Barangay Tayud, in Consolacion town around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, October 5, or approximately six hours after the incident.
On the other hand, the Carcar City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) on Tuesday also confirmed that they found the body of a 13-year-old girl who went missing since Monday evening.
They identified the victim as Jan Kristel Encabo, a resident in Sitio Lumbia, Barangay Can-asujan, who drowned while swimming in Pungtod Dahuna, Barangay Perrelos on Monday afternoon.
According to Kim Lauron, head of the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), Encabo was swimming with a friend identified as Rose Ann Caballero near an estuary despite the bad weather.
Caballero sought assistance from the authorities after her companion was swept away by rushing water from the river’s mouth in Barangay Perrelos.
“We have been reminding the public not to set sail and to avoid swimming in any bodies of water because of the Tropical Depression. But unfortunately, we received information from one of the victim’s friends, saying that Encabo went missing,” Lauron told reporters in Cebuano in a phone interview.
Encabo’s corpse was found around 11 a.m. on Tuesday off the seawaters of Barangay Perrelos.
Cebu was placed under Storm Signal No. 1 for over 12 hours on Monday due Tropical Depression Lannie.
Lannie made landfall within the vicinity of San Fernando town in southern Cebu around 2 p.m. on Monday.
Despite the lifting of storm signals, the PDRRMO urged the public to continue be on alert especially that damp weather will be prolonged due to the presence of La Niña.
“We will continue to experience rains because of the La Niña. And this is why we shouldn’t be complacent, especially when we head out to visit destinations,” said Neil Sanchez, head of the PDRRMO.
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