Death Toll from Philippine Flooding Rises to 25

The death toll from heavy rains and floods that destroyed parts of the Philippines over the Christmas weekend has risen to 25, with 26 others still missing, according to the national disaster response agency on Wednesday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said about 400,000 people were affected, with over 81,000 still in shelters and nine others wounded.

The council added that 16 of the 25 deaths were reported in Northern Mindanao region in the south, while 12 of the 26 missing are from the eastern Bicol region.

The weather disturbance disrupted Christmas celebration in affected provinces, with photos from the southern province of Misamis Occidental showing rescuers carrying an elderly woman on a plastic chair as they waded through a flooded street. 

Some residents in the province were seen hanging on to floaters as coast guard rescuers pulled them across chest-deep flood using a rope.

The disaster management council highlighted that 1,196 houses were damaged by the floods, while sections of 123 roads and 12 bridges were affected. Some areas remain without power or water supply.

Each year about 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. 

The archipelago is located on the “Ring of Fire” along the Pacific Ocean’s rim, where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.