MANILA, Nov 10 — At least 1.4 million people were evacuated as Super Typhoon Uwan battered large parts of the Philippines over the weekend, with two deaths reported in the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas, the Civil Defence Office (OCD) said today.
The Philippine News Agency reported OCD Deputy Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV as saying that the evacuees comprised about 426,000 families.
In a video statement to the press, he said the figures were based on data provided by the Interior and Local Government Department.
Alejandro added that a large number of evacuees came from the Bicol Region, followed by Eastern Visayas and Calabarzon.
Around 6,000 evacuation centres are currently active, housing about 318,000 individuals or 92,000 families.
“For casualties, there are reports but still subject to validation, two fatalities: one from Viga, Catanduanes, due to drowning, and another from Catbalogan City, Samar, who was hit by a collapsed structure,” he said, noting that two other individuals had also been injured.
The assessment of damage caused by Uwan to infrastructure and agriculture is still ongoing. The number of houses damaged by the cyclone’s effects stood at around 1,000.
