BANGUED, Abra – Twenty eight people were rendered homeless after a tornado destroyed some six houses in Barangay Labaan, here, Friday afternoon during the height of the heavy monsoon rains that prevailed over most parts of Northern Luzon.
Of the 6 damaged houses, 2 were reportedly totally damaged while 4 were declared as partially damaged as per initial reports from the provincial and municipal disaster risk reduction and management councils.
Bucloc MDRRM officer Ferdinand Balao-as disclosed that 28 individuals were left affected because of the disaster.
The totally damaged houses were owned by Ruben Ganatin and Eliza Tubban while the partially damaged structures belong to Amboy Gadsi, Eliza Salingbay, Zaldy Payo and Reynaldo Galvan.
Balao-as said the families are in need of immediate aide. He said the municipal government distributed relief goods and provided assistance to the victims for them to be able to recover from their tragic experience seeing their houses being ravaged by the tornado that struck the area at the height of the heavy rains triggered by the southwest monsoon.
On the other hand, the provincial DRRM also reported that 3 landslides were reported in the different parts of the province due to the prevailing monsoon rains enhanced by Typhoon Hannah.
PDRRM officer Elmer Bersamin said the landslides happened in Bucloc and Sallapadan municipalities. He also said the Abra River swelled causing partial flooding of rice fields and communities beside the river.
By Dexter A. See
