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Tropical storm in Mindanao: 143 dead and hundreds missing
The floods have mainly affected the city of Cagayan de Oro, killing more than 100 people, mostly children. In less than 24 hours more than 25 millimeters of rain have fallen. The death toll could exceed 200.
Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) – 143 are confirmed dead and hundreds more are missing following tropical storm Washi which lashed the northern island of Mindanao, in southern Philippines, overnight. The floods have mainly affected the city of Cagayan de Oro, where about 100 people, mostly children, have died. The floods have also inundated Illigan City and north Zamboanga.
In less than 24 hours about 25 mm of rain have fallen in the area with rivers bursting their banks. The fury of the waters submerged entire villages, with high winds exceeding 90 km / h on the coast provoking landslides and mudslides.
Currently about 10 thousand soldiers are engaged in rescue operations. According to officials the death toll could rise to more than 200.
Dozens of typhoons hit the Philippines each year, causing deaths and serious damage to crops and infrastructure. At the end of September, the typhoon Nesat caused over 100 deaths. In 2009, the country was crippled by the passage of tropical storm Ketsana and typhoon Parma which in Manila alone left one thousand dead and 3 million displaced. Some areas of the city and the northern Philippines remained flooded for months and even today are still struggling to overcome damage from the storm and typhoon.