6 DEAD AS ‘DODONG’ EXITS THE PHILIPPINES

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 4) Six people were killed and 27 others were missing at sea as Tropical Storm “Dodong” (international codename: Sarika) headed out of Philippine waters Friday with many communities still flooded, rescuers said.
Four people drowned in the major southern island of Mindanao earlier this week while a boy died after falling into a swollen creek in Batangas city near Manila, and a woman drowned on the central island of Tablas, they said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 26 Filipino fishermen were missing near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
One crew member of a barge went missing as the 45-ton F/B 3MS WOF owned by a Leo Caranay, which was carrying agricultural products, was driven by strong winds off the town of Sariaya, south of Manila, it added.
The boat was supposed to have arrived in Bolinao at 6:30 p.m. of Tuesday but has not been seen since.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Benito Ramos said three Navy rescue boats and two Philippine Coast Guard helicopters were deployed in the area.
“If something happens to them, I will take the full responsibility,” said Ramos.
“It’s either the Coast Guard allowed them to sail or they did not ask permission,” he added.
Meanwhile, Fred Castelo, Bolinao municipal administrator, said another boat sank some 16 kilometers off Santiago Island, also in Bolinao, on Thursday but the five fishermen on board were rescued.
He said Bolinao officials also received reports that at least two other fishing boats from the town remained missing but they could not determine how many people were on board these vessels.
Several hundred people remained at evacuation centres across Luzon early Friday while waiting for floodwaters to recede, the NDRRMC said in its update.
Dodong was heading for southeastern China on Friday with peak winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) an hour, after brushing the west coast of the main Philippine island of Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.



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