Death toll from Philippine tropical storm rises to 72

Manila, Oct 29 (EFE).- The death toll from tropical storm Nalgae, which made landfall in the Philippines on Saturday, has risen to 72, according to the country’s emergency agency.

At least 33 people have been injured, and 14 are still missing as a result of the storm.

The National Council for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction reported that a significant spike in mortality occurred overnight.

The southern provinces and cities of the archipelago took the brunt of the storm’s damage.

So far, Nalgae has caused the evacuation of about 7,300 people, affecting over 50,000 households and over 184,000 people.

As a precaution, 425 cities have temporarily closed their schools.

Nalgae made landfall in the province of Catanduanes during the early hours of Saturday, with maximum winds of 95 km/h.

The storm is forecast to deliver torrential rainfall to the capital city of Manila and adjacent provinces during the weekend as it advances towards the main island of Luzon and into the South China Sea, according to the Philippine Meteorological Agency.

Nalgae made landfall barely over a month after Typhoon Noru swept through the Philippines, killing at least 12 people and evacuating around 14,000 people in September.

Every year, over 20 tropical storms hit the Philippines, making it one of the most vulnerable countries to the consequences of climate change. EFE

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