Death toll from Christmas weekend rains, floods rises to 25

Metro Manila, December 28 ------ The death toll from the Christmas weekend downpour and flooding that affected Visayas and Mindanao has risen to 25, disaster response officials said.

According to the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), only three of the 25 casualties were verified, and two of these were in Eastern Visayas and one in Zamboanga Peninsula. The NDRRMC also reported that nine people were injured and 26 were missing.

Diego Agustin Mariano, head of the Office of Civil Defense Joint Information Center, told CNN Philippines that most of those missing are from Bicol and Eastern Visayas. Of the 102,476 families or 393,069 individuals affected by the flooding, 20,723 families or 81,443 people remain in evacuation centers, the NDRRMC reported.

Damage to infrastructure and agriculture reached P20.87 million and P63.87 million, respectively, the agency added.

Source: cnnphilippines.com