Philippine Landslides, Floods’ Death Toll Rises to 58

The death toll from landslides and floods in the Philippines rose to 58 on Wednesday, official tallies showed.

Rescue operations found more bodies with their bare hands in villages crushed by rain-induced avalanches of mud and earth, according to reports.

The flooding was caused by tropical storm Megi that dumped heavy rain and disrupted travel, inundating fields, cutting off roads and knocking out power ahead of the Easter holidays.

Officials noted that the storm is the strongest to hit the disaster-prone archipelago this year, adding that it took place in the central province of Leyte where a series of landslides has devastated communities.

Furthermore, local authorities revealed that at least 47 people died and 27 were missing after waves of sodden soil smashed into farming settlements over the weekend. Just over 100 people were injured.

The national disaster agency revealed that more than 13,000 people fled to emergency shelters as the tropical storm pounded the disaster-prone region on Sunday.