Death toll from storm ‘Kristine’ through the Philippines rises to 81

The passage of the cyclone already leaves more than half a million displaced

MADRID, 26 (EUROPA PRESS)

At least 81 people have died and almost half a million have been displaced in the Philippines due to the devastating impact of tropical storm ‘Kristine’, which has arrived accompanied by widespread flooding and landslides.

Rescue teams, still struggling to reach residents trapped by flooding in their own homes, have noted that most of the fatalities have been caused by heavy rainfall and landslides.

At least 34 people are still missing, as confirmed by the latest balance sheet from the country’s Office of Civil Defense (OCD), published this Saturday.

Most of the dead came from the province of Batangas, south of Manila, where landslides buried dozens of houses. The rest are in the province of Bicol, where 28 deaths have been recorded, followed by Calabarzón, with 15. In addition, one death has been recorded in Ilocos, Luzon and Zaboanga, respectively.

The torrential rains have caused several rivers to overflow and have submerged entire towns, which have been completely flooded. In addition, dozens of vehicles have suffered damage due to the release of volcanic sediments, as reported by several local media.

However, the agency’s spokesman, Edgar Posadas, has predicted that relief efforts will gain speed this weekend, since the storm has left the island.