There are at least 137 people dead and 28 others disappeared in the Philippines as a result of Tropical Storm Megiravaging the central and southern parts of the archipelago, according to the latest report released by authorities this Friday. Most of the victims counted by the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management died in the eastern state of Leyte, where landslides buried several towns and the final death toll is feared to be much higher.
Emergency teams continue excavations, especially in Baybay and Abuyog municipalities. In Baybay, a small initial landslide alerted neighbors, some of whom managed to escape, but an even larger avalanche took others by surprise, as well as affecting members of the emergency team, the mayor told the media. , Jose Carlos. Current.
Tropical storm Megi, christened Agaton in the Philippines, entered the country’s east coast from the northwest on Sunday, causing flooding and landslides in the Visayas and Mindadao archipelagos in the central and southern parts of the country. Total, More than 1.6 million people were affected by this phenomenonCaused more than 580 floods and 89 landslides across the country.
Megi is the first major storm to hit the disaster-prone country in 2022, recording an average of 20 typhoons each year. This storm, which hit this predominantly Catholic country before the celebration of Holy Week, surprised officials, who issued a minimal warning before making landfall. In December, the strongest Typhoon Rai to hit the Philippines last year left at least 409 dead; Typhoon Haiyan, the largest to reach land, caused nearly 7,000 deaths in November 2013.