BAGUIO CITY(PIA) - - The strong winds and heavy volume of rains brought by Severe Tropical Storm Maring have caused landslides and flooding in various parts of Cordillera which left   six persons dead and two others missing.

Based on the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) Emergency Operations Center data as of 2:00 PM today, the six reported deaths including three siblings aged 2, 6 and 8 who   perished when a landslide hit their house along Tawang, La Trindad, Benguet  evening of October 11.  The three others died due to separate landslide incidents in barangays Ampucao and Tuding in Itogon, Benguet and in  barangay Dominican – Mirador in Baguio City.

Search, rescue and retrieval operation is ongoing for two missing children in the Dominican-Mirador incident.

The regional offices of the Department of Health and the Department of the Interior and Local Government are   jointly validating the death incidents before   officially releasing the names of the fatalities.

Initial report from the Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Field Office (DSWD – CAR) shows there are 536 families (2,116 individuals) in 23 barangays in Abra, Apayao, Baguio City and Mountain Province affected by STS Maring who were served either inside or outside evacuation centers. The DSWD – CAR is still waiting for the consolidated report from the province of Benguet.

The CRDRRMC EOC also shared that based on the initial report of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH – CAR),  heavy rains caused  numerous landslide incidents along the national road networks of Cordillera including major roads  such as the Benguet-Vizcaya Road, Baguio-Bontoc Road,Naguilian Road and Claveria-Calanasan Road. Currently 17 road sections are already punched thru - passable, seven road sections are cleared as one lane passable and 26 roads sections are still closed. Many provincial and municipal are also affected by landslides. Road clearing operations are ongoing.

 CRDRRMC Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Regional Director Albert Mogol already issued a directive to the local DRRM Councils to prepare or facilitate the conduct of Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) to evaluate the actual extent of the damages on the ground.

The RDANA result will become part of the final situation report on STS Maring and will also guide the CRDRRMC in coming up with sound discussion and plan of actions for the needed continuing response efforts and in crafting the necessary recovery and rehabilitation plan.

With the continuing threat of strong wind and moderate to heavy rainfall in various parts of the region, Mogol also advised the local DRRM councils to look and act on the possible hazards especially in flood and landslide prone areas in their respective area of responsibility.

As of the 5pm PAGASA bulletin today, STS Maring accelerated while moving westward over the West Philippine Sea.  It was estimated based on all available data over 505 km West of Calayan Cagayan (with a maximum sustained wind of 100 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 125 km/hr moving westward at 30km/h, as of 4pm.

Though already outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the Cordillera provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province including Baguio City are still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)