Storm Nalgae swept across the country, flooding villages, destroying crops and knocking out power in many areas.
Source AFP
© JAM STA ROSA / AFP
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Lhe death toll from storm Nalgae, which hit the Philippines in recent days, has risen to 101, the national disaster management agency said Monday afternoon. Other bodies were found, and the toll rose from 48 to 98 dead, then 101 dead, according to the same source. Most of these victims died in landslides and floods Friday in Mindanao, a southern island of the archipelago, after heavy rains. The storm hit the main island of Luzon overnight from Saturday to Sunday, sweeping away everything in its path and causing power outages. Manila and nearby towns suffered flooding. The storm moved away Sunday afternoon in the South China Sea.
An average of 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines each year, killing people and livestock in their path, and ravaging farms, homes, roads and bridges, although the south is rarely affected. As the planet is affected by global warming, storms and typhoons are becoming more powerful, scientists warn. « We went from a search and rescue operation to a recovery operation because the chances of survival after two days are practically nil,” said Naguib Sinarimbo, civil defense officer for the Bangsamoro region in Mindanao. The number of victims could be brought to increase again, the national agency for the management of natural disasters still listing 63 people missing in its latest report. Several dozen people were injured.
” The worst “
As rescue teams searched for new bodies amid the mud and debris, storm survivors continued the harrowing cleanup of their flood-shattered homes. In the municipality of Noveleta, south of Manila, residents flushed muddy water from their homes and shops, drying their furniture and belongings in now sunny streets. “In a lifetime spent here, this is the first time we have experienced this kind of flooding,” observed Joselito Ilano, 55, whose house was invaded by water up to the waist. “I’m used to flooding here, but this one was just the worst, I was taken by surprise. »
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Nalgae swept through the disaster-prone country, flooding villages, destroying crops and knocking out power in many areas. It hit the Philippines in the middle of the All Saints’ Day long weekend, which takes place on Tuesday, when millions of Filipinos cross the country to visit the graves of their loved ones. And as the storm moved away from the country towards the South China Sea on Monday, state meteorologists in the Philippines were warning that a tropical depression was heading towards the country. Heavy rains may again fall in areas severely affected by Nalgae. In recent years, landslides and flash floods in mountainous areas affected by deforestation have been among the deadliest consequences of storms in the Philippines.