30 October,2022 09:07 AM IST | Manila | Agencies
Philippine Coast Guard and rescuers use boats to evacuate residents from flooded areas. Pic/AP
Flash floods and landslides set off by torrential rains left at least 50 people dead, including in a hard-hit southern Philippine province, where as many as 60 villagers are feared missing and buried in a huge mud slide laden with rocks, trees and debris, officials said on Saturday. At least 42 people were swept away by rampaging floodwaters and drowned or were hit by debris-filled mud slides in three towns in Maguindanao province, said Naguib Sinarimbo, the interior minister for a five-province Muslim autonomous region.
The worst storm impact so far was a mud slide that buried dozens of houses with as many as 60 people in the tribal village of Kusiong in Maguindanao's Datu Odin Sinsuat town, Sinarimbo told. Eleven bodies, mostly of children, were dug up on Friday by rescuers using spades in Kusiong, where about 80 families lived, he said.
Also read: Seoul Halloween stampede: Death toll rises to 151, 19 identified as foreigners
"That community will be our ground zero today," Sinarimbo said, adding that heavy equipment and more rescue workers, including army, police and volunteers have been deployed. An official death count of 67 in Maguindanao on Friday night was recalled by authorities after discovering some double counting of casualties.
ALSO READ
COP29: Civil society protests climate finance proposal, calls for 'no deal' over 'bad deal'
Angel Yin rides a hot putter to 2-shot lead in LPGA finale
Kane hat trick against Augsburg hides Bayern's concerning lack of goals
PSG beats Toulouse 3-0 and Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest
Messi's former teammate Mascherano close to becoming Inter Miami coach, AP source says
More than 7,000 people were protectively evacuated away from the path of the storm, which was not expected to strengthen. About 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippine archipelago each year. It is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region along most of the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur, making the nation one of the world's most disaster-prone.
20
No of typhoons, storms occurring in Philippines each year
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever