Philippine storm death toll rises to 167
The death toll from the landslides and flooding spawned by tropical storm ‘Megi’ has risen to 167, with 110 still missing, the government said on Saturday.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 164 died in the central Philippines while three died in the southern Philippines. The agency, which culls reports from the provinces affected by disasters, added that there are 110 more missing in central Philippines.
Megi dumped rains in the central and southern Philippine regions before and after it hit land on April 10, inundating many areas and setting off landslides in several villages in Baybay City and Abuyog town in Leyte province, Xinhua news agency reported.
On Friday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte visited the devastated province and handed relief goods to the survivors. He conducted an aerial inspection of the villages buried by mudslides.
The central Philippines is in the typhoon alley and usually the gateway of typhoons to the country. Landslides and flash floods are common across the Philippines during the rainy season, especially when typhoons hit.
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and Pacific typhoon belt. On an average, this archipelagic country experiences 20 typhoons every year, some of which are intense and destructive. Megi is the first storm to batter the country this year.
S. Africa’s flood death toll rises to 395
A total of 395 people have been killed by flood in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, a government official said.
As of Friday, a total of 40,723 people have been affected, and the latest number of fatalities stands at 395, Sipho Hlomuka, a member of the Executive Council for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, briefed the media on Friday about the recent floods.
Over 4,000 law enforcement members have been deployed to the affected areas to support relief efforts and maintain law and order, and staff are busy repairing damaged infrastructure like roads, water supply, sanitation and electricity, he said.
According to the South African Weather Service, more rainfall is expected in parts of the province in the coming days, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Damaging winds are forecast for areas along the coast from midday today into Saturday evening. Disruptive rain is forecast,” Hlomuka said.
In line with the disaster management plan, provincial and municipal disaster management teams are on high alert to respond to communities known to be at high risk to avert and minimise the disaster impact, he added.
It has been raining heavily in KwaZulu-Natal since the weekend, which damaged roads, homes, schools, electricity poles, and many government infrastructure.