Residents gather next to their belongings by destroyed homes in the landslide-hit village of Kusiong in Datu Odin Sinsuat in the southern Philippines’ Maguindanao province on October 29, 2022.
FERDH CABRERA/AFP via Getty Images
45 people are reported dead after storm Nalgae hit the Philippines.
The tropical storm is expected to hit the capital of Manila on Saturday, a BBC report says.
Photos show destruction in the hard-hit Maguindanao province.
Tropical Storm Nalgae hit the Philippines on Friday, causing floods and landslides. Forty-five people are believed to be dead, with many more injured.
Heavy rain began on Thursday with strong winds hitting highs of 59 mph, the state weather agency said.
A man walks along a flooded street in Manila on October 29, 2022, following heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm Nalgae.
JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images
The latest death toll has been revised since an initial report of 72 deaths, The Guardian reported.
Naguib Sinarimbo, the spokesman and civil defense chief for the southern region, said: “When we consolidated the reports at 6 a.m. today, we realized there were only 40 dead, 31 injured, and 15 missing.”
The storm is expected to hit the capital of Manila on Saturday. High levels of destruction have already been seen in Maguindanao province on Mindanao island, a BBC report says.
A resident walks past a destroyed house in the landslide-hit village of Kusiong in Datu Odin Sinsuat in the southern Philippines’ Maguindanao province on October 29, 2022.
FERDH CABRERA/AFP via Getty Images
Reuters said Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had ordered urgent aid distribution, including fresh drinking water and purifying systems, stating a particular need for the Maguindanao province, which has been hard hit.
“We could have done better in Maguindanao in terms of preparing,” Marcos said in a briefing with disaster officials.
Residents with their belongings arrive at a school that serves as an evacuation centre in Marikina on October 29, 2022, following widespread flooding from heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm Nalgae.
JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images
Storm Nalgae has forced almost 170,000 people out of their homes, Reuters reported, adding that it’s believed that a third of these were in evacuation shelters.
The disaster has caused chaos in the air and on land, with Reuters reporting that 116 domestic and international flights have been canceled.
The Philippines sees around 20 major storms every year, per The Guardian, but extreme weather is becoming more destructive due to climate change, the report said.