Death toll from Philippine storm rises to 98: disaster agency

The death toll from a storm that battered the Philippines in recent days has risen to 98, the national disaster agency said Monday, as more bodies are retrieved.

Just over half of the fatalities were from a series of flash floods and landslides that destroyed villages on the southern island of Mindanao on Friday.

"We have shifted our operation from search and rescue to retrieval operation because the chances of survival after two days is almost nil," said Naguib Sinarimbo, civil defence chief of the Bangsamoro region in Mindanao.

As rescue teams searched through mud and debris for more bodies, survivors of Tropical Storm Nalgae continued the heartbreaking task of cleaning up their sodden homes.

Nalgae swept across the disaster-prone country, inundating villages, destroying crops and knocking out power in many regions.

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It struck on an extended weekend for All Saints' Day, which is on Tuesday, when millions of Filipinos traverse the country to visit the graves of loved ones.

The number of fatalities is likely to rise, with the national disaster agency recording 63 people still missing in its latest report.

Scientists have warned that storms, which kill people and livestock and destroy farms, houses, roads and bridges, are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.

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© Agence France-Presse

Source: AFP