Two dead, 18 missing as tornado hits Philippines
Date: 14-Jun-04
Country: PHILIPPINES
Author: Eric de Castro
A dozen residents from the coastal town of Dulag on Leyte island were reported missing.
The tornado, which lasted 35 minutes on Wednesday morning, destroyed about 900 houses, leaving one elderly man dead and four people wounded, disaster agency officials said.
"It happened so fast without any warning," said Ricardo Morcilla, a local government worker, describing the destructive mix of rain and swirling debris that felled coconut trees and flattened thatched houses.
"It was terrifying," said Girlie Raagas, a resident of a village in the Dulag area. "I couldn't see a thing and the wind was howling furiously. I also felt the ground shaking."
Edna Rola of the National Disaster Coordinating Council said an assessment team has been sent to the area as officials waited for reports on damage to property and crops.
She said 30 fishing boats were reported missing.
One fisherman died and six were missing on the nearby island of Samar when waves and wind whipped up by the tornado overturned two boats, the coast guard said on Thursday.
Lieutenant Armand Balilo, a coast guard spokesman, said 26 fishermen had been rescued.
"We are now searching for the missing fishermen because the seas are calmer," he said.
The disaster agency said the tornado was triggered by a tropical depression that has since moved north towards southern Japan. The Philippines is hit by 17 to 20 typhoons each year.
