MANILA, Philippines — The number of people who have died due to the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) has risen to 154, according to the country’s disaster management agency.
Of these deaths, 101 have been confirmed while 53 more are “for validation,” according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Bulk of the fatalities were reported in the BARMM where 63 people died, followed by Western Visayas and Calabarzon with 33 each.
Five people died in Eastern Visayas, four each from Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen, three from Mimaropa, two each from Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol and Central Visayas, and one from the CAR.
The NDRRMC also reported that 128 have been injured and 35 are still missing in the wake of Paeng.
It also said that the storm affected 1,176,074 families or 4,124,267 people, 123,024 of whom are still in evacuation centers and 911,226 are seeking shelter elsewhere.
The damage wrought by Paeng to agriculture and infrastructure is estimated by the NDRRMC to be at a total of around P5.62 billion.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. placed Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas and BARMM under a state of calamity for a period of six months unless he lifts it earlier.
An average of 20 tropical cyclones pass through the Philippines annually. Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world continues to heat up because of climate change. — Xave Gregorio