The death toll from Typhoon Odette has climbed to 19 as of Saturday morning, as the government undertakes search, rescue and retrieval operations, and even rehabilitations in areas in the Visayas and Mindanao that were battered by Typhoon Odette.
Repair and maintenance personnel, both from the public and private sectors, were also working to return emergency power and telecommunications in the affected areas, including in Siargao Island where the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council ( NDRRMC) uses satellite signal.
While agencies, including the NDRRMC expects the number of casualties to rise, the PNP, citing the 6 a.m. consolidated report of its command center, said at least 19 people have been killed with at least seven others injured.
NDRRMC Executive Director and Office of Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad told President Duterte during a briefing on Friday night that 12 people died from Odette, although the NDRRMC has put the officially validated number to five, still as of Saturday.
The PNP through its spokesman Col. Roderick Augustus Balba said the 19 fatalities were recorded in the areas of Police Regional Office (PRO) 6, 7 and 10 while those injured were logged in PRO 7 and 10.
Balba said at least 37 areas under PRO 7 were still flooded while 146 areas under PRO 4B, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were still without power. Mobile phone signal in at least 65 areas in the regions is also still out.
The PNP spokesman also said at least 21,584 families or 95, 906 individuals were moved out of their homes in areas ubder the PRO 4B, 6 and 7.
Balba said that PNP chief General Dionardo Carlos has ordered police offices in areas directly hit by Odette to focus in search, rescue, retrieval, clearing and relief operations and in securing evacuation centers.
“Our CPNP ( chief, PNP) also said that it continues to share its resources, vehicles and SRR Equipment to DRRMCs and LGUs. Our personnel on the ground are closely coordinating with their respective LGUs. Some communication lines and power supply are down, that’s why it was extra challenging for us to get real-time updates from the different areas,” Balba said.
At the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Eastern Mindanao Command (EASTMiNCOM) said a total of 94,104 individuals were affected by the typhoon in 328 barangays and 49 municipalities in Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Island, Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental.
Eastmincom commander Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, who surveyed by air Surigao provinces, also ordered the deployment of four Blackhawk helicopters and naval boats in Dinagat Island and Siargao for disaster response operations.
In Western and Central Visayas, the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division said it was working with other agencies in the ongoing disaster response operations in Region 6 and 7.
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