Philippines: 148 people killed by tropical storm "Megi"

Strong landslides and floods in the Philippines have left many people injured and hundreds missing.

This Thursday, the number of individuals who lost their lives in the Philippines rose to 148 as a result of persistent flooding and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Magi. This according to official figures offered by the authorities.

Spokesmen for the rescue teams announced that several communities are completely submerged by the mud and there are still many missing people, who could have been buried by the landslides.

The storm that has been affecting this archipelago for several days has not only caused the physical loss of these people, but has also forced a large number of families to leave their homes to protect their lives in evacuation centers near the areas affected.

The central province of Leyte has suffered the most damage, as the meteorological phenomenon has completely destroyed homes and farming and fishing communities in the region.

The mayor of Abuyog, Lemuel Traya, told the AFP news agency that in this city alone, more than 40 people have died from landslides, while another 150 are missing.

Likewise, the municipality's emergency team recovered the bodies of several people who died in the coastal village of Pilar, which was devastated last Tuesday by so many landslides.

While in the villages near the city of Baybay, 101 people lost their lives, dozens are injured and more than 100 are missing.

For its part, the National Disaster Agency reported that three people drowned on the island of Mindanao, located in the south of the country; and another died in the central province of Lloilo.

Due to the large amounts of mud and the bad weather that still plagues the country, the rescue work in Pilar has been complicated, since the ground is wet and unstable. The rescuers even said that while inspecting said coast, some corpses were dragged by the sea current and it was impossible to collect them.

Survivor Testimonials

The councilor of Pilar, Anacleta Canuto, commented that when she heard the sound of the landslide, she thought it was a helicopter, since the noise it produced was very similar to that.

Canuto survived the tragedy along with her husband and children, but nine other relatives did die.

Likewise, a fisherman from the area, named Santiago Dahonog, said that when they saw the strong landslide in Pilar, they decided to run and take refuge in the sea with his two brothers and a nephew.

The emergency team of the Philippines will continue with the rescue work, hoping not to find more deceased people.