Tropical depression leaves 8 dead, 1 missing in Philippines

Manila, Dec 21 Floodwaters and landslides triggered by a tropical depression that battered the Philippines over the weekend have left at least eight people dead, two injured and one missing, authorities said on Monday.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the casualties were reported in the regions of Eastern Visayas, Davao and Caraga, reports Xinhua news agency.

The NDRRMC said the tropical depression affected over 36,000 residents in central and southern Philippines and caused infrastructure damages worth 110.4 million pesos ($23 million).

The country's 22nd storm continues to blow away from the Philippines, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 km per hour with gusts of up to 80 km per hour, the state weather bureau said.

Typhoons and tropical storms regularly batter the Philippines from June through December, claiming lives and causing billions of dollars in damages.

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries, including active volcanoes, frequent earthquakes, and an average of 20 typhoons a year, causing floods and landslides.

Government data showed the Philippines lost 463 billion pesos in damages to natural disasters from 2010 to 2019.

( With inputs from IANS )

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