Death toll rises to 74 after storms in the Philippines

[News_Editor]

Death toll rises to 74 after storms in the Philippines

2011-08-04 11:56:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- The combined death toll from Tropical Storm Juaning and Typhoon Kabayan in the Philippines has risen to at least 74 while nearly two dozen others remain missing, the government said on Thursday.

Juaning made landfall in several parts of the Philippines late last month, including central and northern Luzon, causing most of the casualties. But Kabayan, even though the center of the typhoon remained far from land, also affected some parts of the country.

Benito Ramos, the Executive Director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), confirmed on Thursday that Juaning resulted in at least 69 fatalities in various parts of the country.

Among the fatalities are at least 18 children, including several toddlers and babies. The youngest victim was identified as a 1-month-old boy who was killed along with five of his family members in the Jose Panganiban municipality of Camarines Norte where a landslide hit a house.

The most fatalities were reported in Albay province, where Ramos said 15 people were killed, including four children aged 9, 4, 7 and 17. Another 14 people were reported killed on Masbate island and eight in Camarines Sur province.

Overall, 53 people were reported injured in various incidents as a result of Juaning. Most of the injuries were reported in Iloilo province where 28 people were suffering from hypothermia.

In addition to the fatalities and injuries, 14 people are still missing as a result of various incidents due to Juaning. Among those missing are seven crew members of the fishing boat FB Hope Christy which capsized in the vicinity of Masbate and Sibuyan Island on July 27.

Typhoon Kabayan has so far claimed at least five fatalities in the Philippines, according to Ramos. He said two men, aged 40 and 30, were killed when their boat capsized in the vicinity of Hagonoy, a municipality on the island of Luzon in the province of Bulacan.

Meanwhile, a 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl were killed and four adults were injured as a result of a landslide in Maribojoc, a municipality in the island province of Bohol. A fifth fatality, an unidentified woman who drowned, was reported in Quezon City.

Four people also remain missing as a result of Kabayan. A 30-year-old man was reported missing after he went fishing along swampy areas of the Bauang river in La Union province, while a 21-year-old man drowned while crossing the Mabacao River in Cavite province. Two other men are also missing, but Ramos gave no details about their cases.

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