INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Five people died after flood and heavy rains brought by the shear line swept their vehicle away in Palawan, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
According to Palawan PDRRMO head Jerry Alili, the victims were passengers of a shuttle van traveling from Bataraza to Puerto Princesa City when its engine stalled while crossing a flooded road.
鈥淎s they were crossing the boundary of Aborlan and Puerto Princesa, their vehicle stalled in the middle of a flooded road and was swept away,鈥� Alili said in Filipino in a Teleradyo interview on Tuesday.
Alili said the van was carrying 12 passengers; seven survived and are now recovering in the hospital.
鈥淲e have recovered five bodies from the van. Three were found yesterday, and this morning, our responders retrieved the last two,鈥� he added.
Palawan received 341 millimeters (mm) of rain within 24 hours, triggering severe flooding in Puerto Princesa City and other parts of Southern Palawan, Alili reported.
鈥淭his was record-breaking rainfall for Puerto Princesa and Southern Palawan. The rainfall in Puerto Princesa was almost the same as what was received in the municipalities of Southern Palawan,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e received 341 millimeters of rain within 24 hours. That鈥檚 12 times the usual monthly allocation, all poured down in just one day,鈥� he added.
Due to the widespread flooding, 2,044 families were forced to evacuate. They are currently staying in evacuation centers or temporarily sheltering with relatives in safer areas, according to Alili.
READ: Pagasa: Heavy rainfall expected in 17 provinces
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) had earlier placed Palawan under orange and yellow rainfall warnings due to the ongoing effects of the shear line.
Under the orange rainfall warning, 15 to 30 mm of intense rain per hour may persist for the next two hours, potentially causing flooding and landslides.
Under the yellow rainfall warning, 7.5 to 15 mm of heavy rain per hour will persist, with possible flooding in low-lying areas.
Pagasa continues to monitor the situation and urged residents to remain vigilant against further heavy rains and potential landslides.