The disaster left just over 100 injured

Death toll from Philippines floods and landslides rises to 58

  • Rescuers pull the victims out of the rough terrain.

    AFP

  • Border guards take part in rescue operations.

    EPA

  • Members of the army participate in the rescue operations.

    AFP

  • Residents are waiting to learn the fate of their loved ones.

    AFP

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The Philippine authorities announced yesterday that the death toll from floods and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Megi has risen to at least 58, while 27 people are still missing.

The majority of the victims (47 according to the authorities) fell in the vicinity of the city of Baibei in Leyte Province in the center of the country, where muddy torrents swept through many agricultural villages.

The authorities said that the disaster also left just over 100 injured.

According to the National Disaster Management Agency, three people died in Negros Oriental, and three others on the southern island of Mindanao.

The disaster prompted more than 17,000 people to flee their homes, which were flooded and without electricity.

Meiji, known in the Philippines as "Agaton", is the first major tropical storm to hit the country this year.

The Philippines are often hit by natural disasters.

After it was suspended on Tuesday night, searches for the missing resumed at dawn yesterday.

According to the local authorities, the improved weather allowed rescue crews to reach the most affected areas, where they dug in to search for bodies in the mud using shovels or by hand.

Scientists warn that the planet is affected by global warming, which leads to the intensification of storms and hurricanes.

The Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

The archipelago experiences about 20 storms annually.

In 2013, Haiyan, the most powerful typhoon ever to make landfall, killed or missing more than 7,300 people.

• Meiji, known in the Philippines as "Agaton", is the first major tropical storm to hit the country this year.


• The disaster prompted more than 17,000 people to flee their homes, which were flooded and without electricity.

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