At least 33 killed by flooding as storm Nalgae approaches Philippines

(Update 2: updates with info of deaths, storm type)

Manila, Oct 28 (EFE).- At least 33 people have died in flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in the southern Philippines as Tropical Storm Nalgae closed in on the archipelago, emergency services told Efe Friday.

All of the fatalities are reported to have occurred in Maguindanao del Norte in the southern Davao Region due to heavy rains and flooding on Thursday, the regional emergency services director Cyrus Torreña said.

The number of victims is expected to rise significantly in the coming hours as floods and landslides have hit areas home to “hundreds of people,” the emergency services director added.

The Philippines meteorological service warned that Nalgae is forecast to gain strength as it approaches the country, and could become a category 4 typhoon by the time is makes landfall on Saturday.

Nalgae could make landfall on the Polillo Islands, a small archipelago devastated in September by Typhoon Noru, which hit with winds of up to 185 kmph.

The trajectory of the new typhoon could also pass through several cities in central Luzon, where Noru left at least 5 dead and around 14,000 evacuees.

Nalgae would be the 12th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change. EFE

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