On Monday, October 31, the national disaster agency reported that 98 people had died from the tropical storm in the Philippines.
According to AFP News, more than half of the fatalities occurred on Friday when Tropical Storm Nalgae caused flash floods and landslides, destroying towns on the southern island of Mindanao.
Most of the 20 or so typhoons that hit the Philippines every year don’t hit Mindanao. However, when it does, it tends to be more deadly than those that hit Luzon and the central parts of the country.
“We have shifted our operation from search and rescue to retrieval operation because the chances of survival after two days are almost nil,”
— Naguib Sinarimbo, civil defence chief of the Bangsamoro region in Mindanao.
Moreover, the national disaster agency has reported 63 people as missing; this figure is expected to rise. Numerous people injured.
Nalgae rushed throughout the country, flooding villages, destroying crops, and knocking down power in many areas. It occurred during an extended weekend for All Saints’ Day, which is on Tuesday. It’s when millions of Filipinos go to cemeteries to pay their respects to the deceased.
The state weather forecaster predicted another tropical depression for the Philippines when Nalgae crossed the South China Sea.
In addition, the new weather system may bring additional severe rain and suffering to Nalgae-ravaged regions.
Source: Channel News Asia