The death toll from landslides and floods in the Philippines has risen to 58 as rescuers dug up more bodies with their bare hands in villages buried in rain-fuelled landslides.
Most of the deaths from tropical storm Megi – the strongest to hit the Southeast Asian archipelago this year – were in the central province of Leyte.
At least 47 people were confirmed to have been killed and more than 100 injured after waves of mud smashed into some six villages around Baybay City over the weekend, local authorities said. Some 27 people remain missing.
Army, police and other rescuers were struggling with mud and unstable heaps of earth and debris to find them.
“We are saddened by this dreadful incident that caused an unfortunate loss of lives and destruction of properties,” Army Brigade Commander Noel Vestuir, who was helping oversee the search and rescue, told The Associated Press news agency.
Three people were also killed in the central province of Negros Oriental and three others on the main southern island of Mindanao, according to the national disaster agency.
Search operations for survivors in Pilar village – also in Leyte – resumed at first light on Wednesday. Rescuers travelled by boat to the coastal community of approximately 400 people, a day after a landslide pushed most houses into the sea.
Death toll from Philippines landslides, floods rises to 67
ReplyDeleteThe death toll from landslides and floods in the Philippines rose to 67 on Wednesday with scores missing and feared dead, officials said, as rescuers dug up more bodies with bare hands and backhoes in crushed villages