Strong landslides and floods in the Philippines have left many people injured and hundreds missing.
—This Thursday, the number of individuals who lost their lives in the Philippines rose to 148, as a result of the persistent floods and landslides, caused by the tropical storm magic. This according to official figures offered by the authorities.
Spokesmen for the rescue teams announced that several communities are totally submerged by the mud and there are still many missing peoplewhich could have been buried by landslides.
The storm that has been affecting this archipelago for several days has not only caused the physical loss of these people, but has also forced a large number of families to leave their homes to protect their lives in evacuation centers near the areas affected.
The central province of Leyte is the one that has suffered the greatest damageas the meteorological phenomenon has completely destroyed the homes and farming and fishing communities in the region.
The Mayor of Abuyog, Lemuel Trayacommented to the AFP news agency, that only in this city, more than 40 people died due to landslides, while another 150 are missing.
Likewise, the municipality’s emergency team recovered the bodies of several people who died in the coastal village of Pilar, which was devastated last Tuesday by so many landslides.
While in the villages near the city of Baybay, 101 people lost their lives, dozens are injured and more than 100 are missing.
For its part, the National Disaster Agency reported that three people drowned on the island of Mindanao, located in the south of the country; and another died in the central province of Lloilo.
Due to the large amounts of mud and the bad weather that still plagues the country, the rescue work in Pilar has been complicated, since the ground is wet and unstable. The rescuers even said that while inspecting said coast, some corpses were dragged by the sea current and it was impossible to collect them.
Survivor Testimonials
Pilar’s councillor, Anacleta Canutecommented that when he heard the sound of the landslide, he thought it was a helicopter, since the noise it produced was very similar to that.
spliff She survived the tragedy with her husband and children, but nine other relatives did die.
Likewise, a local fisherman, called Santiago Dahonogsaid that seeing the strong landslide in Pilar, they decided to run and take refuge in the sea with their two brothers and a nephew.
The Philippines emergency team will continue with the rescue workhoping not to find more deceased people.
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