NDRRMC: 58 deaths reported from Typhoon Odette, only 9 confirmed
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) — At least 58 people were reported dead after Typhoon Odette battered the central and southern provinces of the country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Monday.
Only nine of the deaths have been confirmed while the remaining 49 are still subject to validation, it said.
The NDRRMC also confirmed two out of 199 reported injuries. It said it is also validating reports that 18 persons remain missing in the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.
The numbers are relatively low compared to what the Philippine National Police reported.
On Monday morning, the PNP said 208 people died due to the typhoon. It also logged 239 injuries and 52 missing persons.
NDRRMC Spokesperson Mark Timbal said they are not disregarding these reports, but that "we're treating [them] as [projections] on how many casualties we can actually expect."
"We want to have a defined count. That's our main objective, kaya hindi natin basta sinasama ang numbers na ito (so we haven't included these numbers). We want to make sure that all of these details are verified and validated," he added.
Civil Defense Assistant Secretary Casiano Monilla also pointed out that unlike the PNP, the NDRRMC does not have units deployed in all areas, including cities and municipalities.
He said they will sit down with the concerned agencies to come up with ways to consolidate their reports.
Meanwhile, the number of affected individuals rose to 997,655, or 276,552 families, in the aftermath of Odette. Almost 442,500 residents were displaced, majority were brought to evacuation centers, according to the NDRRMC.
It also estimated the total damage to infrastructure at ₱225.17 million, and agriculture at ₱118.28 million.
Odette exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday, leaving a trail of devastation across the Visayas and Mindanao.
Local governments have appealed for immediate assistance, including those in Bohol, Dinagat Islands, Siargao, Cebu, Guimaras, and Butuan City, after these areas suffered widespread damage due to the typhoon.
