Philippines storm victims look for missing relatives among houses swept away by rampaging flood waters in Cagayan de Oro, southern Mindanao. Photograph: Bobby Lagsa/EPA
A tropical storm has triggered flash floods and mudslides in southern parts of the Philippines, killing more than 250 people.
Around 400 people remain missing after the storm sent walls of water cascading through coastal cities in the country's Mindanao group of islands. Some of the dead were swept out to sea.
The rain water caused water to run through coastal cities. It is being reported that many of the victims were washed out to sea.
"Massive flooding had been reported over the region, especially in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City," said Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster rescue agency.
The storm hit while most people were asleep. Those who did escape made their may to higher ground, say officials.
Benito Ramos, a civil defence administrator, said 18 drowned in floodwaters in central Negros Oriental province, where the centre of the storm, which packed winds of up to 56 miles per hour, hit on Saturday.
Ramos said the high casualties caused by Washi, the 19th storm in the Philippines this year, could be attributed "partly to the complacency of people because they are not in the usual path of storms" despite four days of warnings by officials.
A tropical storm has triggered flash floods and mudslides in southern parts of the Philippines, killing more than 250 people.
Around 400 people remain missing after the storm sent walls of water cascading through coastal cities in the country's Mindanao group of islands. Some of the dead were swept out to sea.
The rain water caused water to run through coastal cities. It is being reported that many of the victims were washed out to sea.
"Massive flooding had been reported over the region, especially in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City," said Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster rescue agency.
The storm hit while most people were asleep. Those who did escape made their may to higher ground, say officials.
Benito Ramos, a civil defence administrator, said 18 drowned in floodwaters in central Negros Oriental province, where the centre of the storm, which packed winds of up to 56 miles per hour, hit on Saturday.
Ramos said the high casualties caused by Washi, the 19th storm in the Philippines this year, could be attributed "partly to the complacency of people because they are not in the usual path of storms" despite four days of warnings by officials.
No comments:
Post a Comment