Tropical storm Megi leaves 1 dead, 1 missing in Philippines

Islamabad

MANILA, April 11 (Xinhua/APP):A tropical storm in the Philippines unleashed floods and set off landslides over the weekend, leaving at least one dead and one missing, the government said on Monday.

A government disaster agency said tropical storm Megi, which made landfall in the central Philippine province on Sunday morning, has also affected over 136,000 people in central and southern Philippines.

Many areas were hit by floods even before the storm hit land.

Over 13,000 displaced people are sheltering in the evacuation centers, while some are staying with relatives, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

On Monday, the state weather bureau downgraded Megi to a tropical depression.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Megi was blowing maximum winds of 45 km per hour and with gusts of up to 60 km per hour as of 10 a.m. local time on Monday.

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

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *