Typhoon Kills Hundreds in Philippines
Deadly flooding from Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines has claimed nearly 300 lives and left hundreds still missing, officials said Wednesday.
One hundred mile-per-hour winds and torrential rains struck the southern Philippines Tuesday washing away roads, destroying homes and blowing out power lines across the country. The storm flattened entire villages, leaving thousands homeless in its wake, forcing over 100,000 evacuated from their homes.
As the storm's path heads northwest, officials say they are now primarily focused on rescue and relief efforts. Good weather Wednesday has allowed rescue workers to use military helicopters in their efforts.
According to national disaster official Benito Ramos 274 people have died, 339 were injured and 279 are still missing. Ramos expects these figures to rise in the next few days.
The primary causes of deaths from the storm are drowning or people who were hit by falling trees or flying debris, officials said.
The majority of deaths occurred in the mountainous gold mining area of Compostela Valley. Neighboring province Davao Oriental on the eastern coast was struck hard as well, according to Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, a military spokesman.
After last December's Tropical Storm Washi that killed more than 1,200 people, Philippines President Benigno Aquino ordered scientists and the state weather bureau to develop a flood and hazard mapping system to help forecast these kind of disasters. In a news brief on Wednesday Aquino said that these precautions may be contributing to the lower figures but said, "Any single casualty is a cause for distress."
