At least 31 people were confirmed dead and 59 others remain missing across Negros Island in the aftermath of Typhoon Tino, which brought torrential rains and flash floods earlier this week.
Most of the fatalities drowned as rivers and waterways overflowed, submerging several low-lying villages.
In Negros Occidental, 10 deaths were reported in La Castellana, 4 in La Carlota City, 3 each in San Carlos and Bago, and 2 in Murcia, according to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and La Castellana Vice Mayor Rhummyla Mangilimutan.
At least 41 residents remain missing in the province – 23 from La Castellana, 11 from La Carlota City, and 7 from Bago City.
In Negros Oriental, police reported nine deaths – eight in Canlaon City and one in Vallehermoso – with 18 others still unaccounted for, said PLt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson for the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office.
The typhoon affected 39,102 families, or 134,718 individuals, in 375 barangays across 29 of the province’s 31 local government units. Of these, 54,783 people remain in evacuation centers as of Wednesday.
Initial reports showed 10 houses destroyed and 127 others damaged by strong winds and flooding.
In Bacolod City, about 6,405 families or 24,000 residents were affected.
Power outages continue to plague the island, with the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC) reporting that only 14 percent of electricity in Central Negros has been restored. Full power is expected to return to Bacolod and nearby towns by the weekend, said NEPC Chief Operations Officer Engineer Bailey Del Castillo.
Many areas in both northern and southern Negros remain without electricity as clearing and repair operations continue