28 still missing as death toll from Philippines floods soars to 44

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Revising the number of missing persons to 28, the Filipino authorities on Friday said the death toll from heavy rains and floods in the Philippines climbed to 44.

The country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in a statement that a total of 12 people were also injured in rains and floods that hit the Southeast Asian nation last weekend.

A search for missing persons is still going on.

According to the latest details, the rains and floods affected at least 10 regions of the archipelago nation involving 34 provinces.

Heavy rains were recorded in Camarines Sur and Misamis Occidental provinces, as well as Eastern Visayas, Bicol, and Northern Mindanao regions.

The disaster management agency also revised the number of families affected to 131,028, involving more than 509,349 individuals.

However, people are returning to their homes after being displaced due to the climate disaster with 56,807 persons still staying in 151 evacuation centers, it added.