At least 25 people were killed in floods that swept across the Philippines on Christmas Day, authorities said in a new balance sheet on Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes after torrential rain flooded towns and highways, cutting short Christmas festivities in this predominantly Catholic country.
More than 81,000 people have sought refuge in shelters, the Philippine disaster relief agency said, as efforts continue to help the most affected populations.
In addition to the fatalities, 13 of which were recorded in the province of Misamis Occidental, on the island of Mindanao, in the south of the archipelago, the agency said 26 people are still missing and nine injured.
Weather forecasts pointed to continued rain, moderate to heavy, throughout the day and on Thursday in the central and southern regions, due to the presence of a low-pressure area from the coast, with the possibility of evolving into a tropical depression.
“Floods and landslides caused by rain are possible,” explains the Philippine Meteorological Institute.
On the other hand, the authorities said aerial reconnaissance operations are taking place in the area of Misamis Occidental to assess the extent of the damage.
Weather conditions began to deteriorate late last week in the Philippines, one of the world’s countries most vulnerable to natural disasters as most of its 110 million inhabitants prepared to celebrate Christmas.
Source: DN
