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MANILA: Philippine police and soldiers joined a search on Friday (November 13) for missing people after Typhoon Vamco killed at least 42 people, as residents returned to devastated homes after the worst flooding in years in Manila and nearby provinces.
Torrential rains from Typhoon Vamco, the third powerful storm to hit the country in as many weeks, flooded low-lying areas in Manila and the surrounding provinces, trapping people on rooftops and balconies.
As the floodwaters receded and residents began to return to their homes, the scale of the destruction left by Vamco became clearer.
In the city of Marikina, one of the most affected areas of the capital, mud-covered washing machines, televisions, sofas, office chairs and bicycles were piled up in the streets as residents swept debris and cloudy water from their homes.
“All the houses here were submerged in mud and water,” Mike Rusio, 51, told Reuters as he removed buckets full of mud from his two-story house.
Hundreds of thousands remained without power after Vamco slammed into Luzon’s most populated island on Wednesday and Thursday, causing landslides, felling trees and cutting off roads.
Typhoon Vamco was the third powerful storm to hit the Philippines in as many weeks. (Photo: AFP / Ted Aljibe)
Data released by the police showed that 42 people had died, 43 were injured and 20 were still missing.
Successive typhoons, eight in the past two months, add to the challenges of a government battling community coronavirus infections and an economic downturn.
Among the victims, five were killed and six more people were missing in a landslide in the city of Banaue. Three people were killed when a warehouse collapsed in Cavite province.
A landslide near a gold mine killed 10 people in Nueva Vizcaya province, north of Manila, Police Chief Ranser Evasco told DZBB radio. In Cagayan province, four died in a landslide and two drowned, Gov. Manuel Mamba said.
Some deaths were still underway, authorities said, suggesting the death toll is likely to rise.
Authorities promised to distribute food and other essentials to the victims, many of whom were still recovering from typhoons Molave and Goni that killed dozens of people, destroyed tens of thousands of houses and left areas without power. the country in recent weeks.
The disaster agency said nearly 75,000 people were still huddled in evacuation centers, some without adequate separation between families and many evacuees without masks.
READ: Singapore to contribute US $ 200,000 in humanitarian aid to ASEAN nations affected by typhoons and floods
In defending the response to the most recent disaster, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government “acted quickly.”
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t do anything about the floodwater that came up too fast … but we made sure no one is left behind,” he said.
Authorities said many people had ignored orders to evacuate their homes and were surprised by the rapidly rising waters.
Flood water ripped through parts of Manila after heavy downpours. (Photo: AFP / Ted Aljibe)
Police, soldiers and the coast guard were deployed to aid rescue efforts, using boats to reach thousands of stranded people. Operations were further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The severity of the flooding in Manila and neighboring Rizal province drew comparisons to the devastation caused by Typhoon Ketsana in 2009 that killed hundreds.
Roughly 450,000 homes in and around Manila remain without power and virtual classes and government work remain on hold in Luzon, home to half of the Philippines’ 108 million people.
The Philippines is affected by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, which often wipe out crops, homes and infrastructure in already impoverished areas.
It is particularly affected by climate change with many people living in coastal areas that are vulnerable to storm surge thickened by rising sea levels and severe flooding.
