Philippine Authorities Revise Tropical Storm Nalgae Death Toll To 45, 18 Missing

MANILA, Oct. 29 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2022 ) :A spokesperson of Philippine national disaster agency on Saturday lowered the death toll caused by severe tropical storm Nalgae to 45, with 18 more remaining missing.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesperson Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro initially said 72 died from the storm, which was confirmed by the disaster agency in an official bulletin.

But in a later news conference at noon, Alejandro said that after verification with the villages, it was confirmed only 45 died, including 40 in Maguindanao province on southern Mindanao island, three in southern Soccksargen region, and two in the Western Visayas region in the central Philippines.

"The local government of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) overcounted," Alejandro explained, adding the victims in Maguindanao mostly died in landslides and some in flooding.

Maguindanao, a province of BARMM, is one of Nalgae's hardest-hit areas. BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said Saturday that the region is under calamity.

Alejandro said the 18 missing people include 15 from Maguindanao and three in Sultan Kudarat in the southern Philippines.

He said Nalgae has affected almost 185,000 people in eight regions, and over 8,000 people are staying in temporary government shelters.

As of noontime, 194 areas are still underwater, including 52 roads and bridges that are impassable. Over 5,500 ports suspended operations, Alejandro said.

Nalgae is the 16th tropical cyclone to lash the Philippines this year. It slammed into Catanduanes, an island province in the Bicol region, before dawn Saturday.