Philippines searches for 26 still missing after heavy rain at weekend

MANILA – Rescue teams across nine provinces in the Philippines on Wednesday raced to try to locate 26 people reported missing after

weekend rain, floods and landslides

killed at least 25 people, in one of the country’s deadliest weather events in 2022.

The national disaster agency on Wednesday said the number of casualties reported so far had increased to 25 from 17 the previous day, with most deaths caused by drowning from flash floods.

“Search and rescue operations continue, led by the coast guard, as most of them are missing fishermen,” the agency’s Diego Agustin Mariano told DZMM radio.

The rain-induced floods and landslides are unlike previous disasters in the Philippines, which are typically triggered by more severe typhoons and tropical storms. The archipelago nation usually sees about 20 of these each year.

The disaster agency also recorded more than 300 flooded areas and 20 rain-induced landslides, which collectively have forced more than 80,000 people to take shelter in evacuation centres. Most of the floods have since subsided.

Most of the deaths reported were in Northern Mindanao, with 16 people killed. Five deaths were reported in the Bicol region at the south-eastern end of the main island of Luzon, and two each in Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula, reported Inquirer.net online news.

Local media on Wednesday showed images of people crammed in gymnasiums turned into evacuation centres, and residents removing debris and cleaning up homes after days of heavy rain.

The state weather agency said occasional light to moderate rain will continue in central and southern areas until Thursday. REUTERS