Philippines floods: Death toll rises to 13 with 23 missing
Torrential rains followed by floods in Philippines kill at least 13 people
Southern Philippines witnessed heavy rains on Christmas day, followed by floods. Due to this, the number of deaths reported in the region has increased to 13. Althoughflash floods have started to subside, authorities continue to search for the 23 missing people.
The cause of death in most cases was drowning from flash floods after two days of heavy downpours. According to the national disaster agency, evacuation centres in the Philippines have given shelter to more than 45,000 people, Reuters news agency reported.
The heavy torrential rains in the Philippines resulted in the cancellation of Christmas due toclogged roads caused by overflowing streams. Coast guards and the police waded through waist-deep waters and carried residents along landslide-hit areas, as shown on social media platforms.
As the population of the Philippines is majorly Catholic, Christmas is the most important holiday for the nation. The collision of warm and cold clouds caused rain clouds to form in the southern Philippines.
Emeterio Roa, the mayor of Clarin town, believes that the most damage has been to livestock as the floods have swept adult animals with them.
The Philippines records more than 20 tropical storms every year. The archipelago of more than 7,600 islands witnesses adverse weather conditions, especially the monsoon rains that cause landslides and floods and ruin crops.
Watch|At least 13 people have been killed in Philippine floods
The Philippine Red Cross has shared a video of their search and rescue teams deployed during the heavy floods. So far, they have saved at least 176 citizens.
Before this, the Philippines experienced extreme weather conditions in October 2022. A severe tropical storm, accompanied by heavy torrential rains across Visayas and Luzon, killed around 160 people. Likewise, a more disastrous typhoonhit the southeastern nation in April 2022. During the storm, several villages experienced extreme torrential rainfalls and heavy floods. It caused 214 fatalities.
(With inputs from agencies)
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