Disasters & Accidents

Megi death toll rises to 167 in Philippines

Manila, Apr 16 (EFE).- At least 167 people have died and another 110 are missing in the wake of tropical storm Megi, which devastated the central and southern part of the Philippine islands, according to the latest data published Saturday by the authorities.

In its latest count, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also said that the storm, which hit the archipelago on Apr. 10-11, has affected more than 1.9 million people.

The most affected province was Leyte, where landslides buried towns, especially Baybay and Abuyog, where emergency teams continue excavation and search work.

The storm caused 580 floods and 89 landslides that left nine bridges and 69 stretches of highway unusable, damaged almost 10,000 homes, and destroyed fields worth more than 242 million pesos ($4.6 million).

Tropical storm Megi, called Agaton in the Philippines, entered the country’s east coast in a northwesterly direction, causing floods and landslides in the Visayas and Mindadao archipelagos, in the center and south of the country.

Megi is the first major storm in 2022 to hit the disaster-prone country, which records an average of 20 typhoons each year.

This storm, which hit the Catholic-majority country before the celebration of Holy Week, surprised the authorities, who had declared a minimum alert level before it made landfall.

In December, Typhoon Rai, the most powerful to hit the Philippines last year, left at least 409 dead; while Typhoon Haiyan, the largest to have made landfall, caused some 7,000 deaths in November 2013. EFE

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