October 28, 2022, 11:36 PM
October 28, 2022, 11:36 PM
At least 72 people were killed when Tropical Storm Nalgae, which hit the Philippines on Saturday, caused floods and landslides, authorities reported.
The cyclone slammed into Luzon, the main island of the archipelago country, with maximum winds of 95 km per hour, an hour after making landfall on the sparsely populated island of Catanduanes before dawn.
Heavy rains from the storm began in the southern Philippines on Thursday, the state weather service said, with flooding in rural areas of the island of Minadanao.
That caused landslides and flooding, with debris-laden waters sweeping away entire families in some areas.
By Saturday morning, the death toll had risen to 72said the director of civil defense, Rafaelito Alejandro.
It also indicated that at least 14 people were missing.
Rescuers have concentrated on the village of Kusiong, where dozens of bodies were recovered on Friday after the floods.
In recent years, flooding with mud and debris from deforested hillsides has been among the deadliest events following typhoons in the Philippines.
The weather service has warned that Nalgae may yet hit the capital Manila.
“Based on our projections, this cyclone is really strong so we have to be well prepared,” Alejandro said, adding that there are 5,000 rescue teams on alert.
Alejandro also urged villagers in the storm’s path to stay home.
More than 7,000 people were evacuated before it made landfall, according to civil defense.
The coast guard has also suspended ferry services in most of the Philippines.
The cyclone struck at the start of a long weekend for the day of the dead in the country, when millions return from visiting the graves of their loved ones.
The Philippines suffers an average of 20 major storms per year, leaving hundreds dead and keeping large regions in perpetual poverty.
Scientists warn that these storms have gotten stronger with increasing global warming.
