Storm Dante leaves 4 dead, 7 missing; over P283M in agri and infra damage

THE DEATH toll from tropical storm Dante, with international name Choi-wan, reached four as of June 3, with seven others still missing and two injured, according to the national disaster management council.

More than 9,800 families composed of almost 45,000 individuals were affected by flooding and landslides following heavy rains dumped by the storm. Of the total, 3,090 families were still staying in evacuation centers as of Thursday morning.

Damage to agriculture was estimated at P14.6 million, mainly rice and corn in the regions of Caraga and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City). The Agriculture department reported that 442 farmers with 723 hectares of land were affected.   

Damage to roads and other infrastructure were initially estimated at P268.52 million in two regions, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Soccsksargen had the biggest cost at P162.32 million worth of destroyed flood-control structures.

Eastern Visayas reported P95 million in damaged roads and P11.2 million in flood-control structures.

As of June 3, DPWH said it was still clearing three impassable national road sections in the provinces of Cebu, Eastern Samar, and Agusan del Sur.

The Philippine Coast Guard, meanwhile, announced that shipping and fishing operations in all ports nationwide resumed as of 12 p.m. Thursday.

All storm signals were already lifted as of Thursday morning as Dante moved towards the West Philippine Sea, according to weather bureau PAGASA.

The typhoon, the fourth to hit the country this year, was expected to be 270 kilometers west of Batanes by Friday morning.

PAGASA said the storm is seen to weaken into a tropical depression by Friday. — with a report from Arjay L. Balinbin