At the weekend, tropical storm “Megi” hit the east coast of the Philippines with gusts of up to 105 km/h. More than 22,000 people have already had to leave their homes.
Rescuers push a woman in a raft across a flooded road after tropical storm Megi hit Leyte province.
(dpa) The number of dead and missing in the Philippines from tropical storm “Megi” is increasing. As of Tuesday, authorities confirmed 28 fatalities. Most died in Baybay City, Leyte province, nearly 600 kilometers southeast of the capital Manila, city spokeswoman Marissa Miguel Cano confirmed.
Masses of earth had previously buried dozens of houses, and there were also severe floods. At least 27 citizens were still missing in the city with around 110,000 inhabitants. Other deaths were reported from the central province of Negros Oriental and the southern provinces of Davao Oriental and Davao De Oro.
“Megi”, called “Agaton” in the Philippines, was the first tropical storm of the year in the Southeast Asian island nation. On Sunday he hit land on the east coast with gusts of up to 105 kilometers per hour. Around 22,600 people in 17 provinces have already had to evacuate their homes and seek safety, authorities said.
Rescuers help a woman in Leyte province.
More than 13,000 people fled to shelters higher up as the storm hit the east coast. Heavy rains and winds cut power, flooded homes and fields, and caused mudslides in villages.
The storm could still change direction
The storm has since weakened. The weather services reported gusts of up to 75 kilometers per hour. However, “Megi” moved slowly forward. According to forecasters, the storm could change direction again “given its unpredictable nature”.
Meanwhile, the weather services observed a second tropical storm named “Malakas” approaching the Philippines from the east. The island nation is hit by an average of around 20 typhoons each year. The worst storm to date, Haiyan, killed more than 6,300 people in November 2013.