After a weekend weather disaster, the Philippines searches for 26 people still missing
In one of the country’s deadliest weather catastrophes this year, the Philippines’ rescue teams hurried on Wednesday to try to find 26 individuals who were reported missing following the weekend rains, floods, and landslides that claimed at least 25 lives.
The national disaster office announced on Wednesday that there had been an increase in mortality from 17 the day before to 25, with the majority of the deaths coming from drowning in flash floods.
As most of them were missing fisherman, search and rescue efforts are still being conducted by the coast guard, according to Diego Agustin Mariano of the disaster agency, who spoke to DZMM radio.
The Philippines has previously had calamities that were typically brought on by more powerful typhoons and tropical storms, of which the archipelagic country regularly experiences roughly 20 each year.
The organization also noted more than 300 flooded regions and 20 landslides brought on by rain, all of which compelled more than 80,000 people to seek refuge in evacuation centers. The majority of the flooding has since stopped.
On Wednesday, local media featured pictures of people squeezing into gymnasiums that had been converted into evacuation centers as well as locals clearing trash and cleaning up their homes after days of intense rain.
The central and southern regions will continue to have sporadic light to moderate showers through Thursday, according to the state weather bureau.
