NEWISSUES
The death toll from floods and landslides caused by a tropical storm in the Philippines has hit 150, with no fewer than 36 people still missing, the National Disaster Agency said Thursday.
A total of 128 were injured, the agency said.
Nearly four million people have been affected by the calamity which also left over 1.2 million displaced.
Sixty-three of the dead were from the southern province of Maguindanao, the worst hit by floods and landslides, while 33 were killed in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
Another 29 people died amid floods, landslides and collapsing structures in the Western Visayas region, the agency said.
The affected areas were battered by days of heavy rains and strong winds brought by storm Nalgae, which partially or totally destroyed more than 15,000 houses.
Damage to agriculture and infrastructure was estimated at more than 5.27 billion pesos ($90.9 million).
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has placed 23 provinces affected by the storm under a state of emergency for the next six months, allowing authorities to tap additional funds for relief and rehabilitation.
The Philippine archipelago is hit by an average of 20 tropical cyclones each year. (dpa/NAN)
