Philippine death toll closes 1,500
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China.org.cn, December 27, 2011
The death toll from flash floods that swept away entire villages in the southern Philippines climbed to nearly 1,500 on Tuesday, as authorities widened their search for bodies, AP reported.
Most of the dead are yet unidentified.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director and concurrent Office of Civil Defense administrator Benito Ramos said the retrieval operations would continue as long as people were being fished out from the water.
A number of agencies are involved in the retrieval operations, including the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police Maritime Group and even the Air Force, in collaboration with local groups and fishermen.
The NDRRMC said about 1,079 people have been reported missing but the number is subject to "reconciliation" and "validation." Officials have said the people reported missing could be among the hundreds of fatalities who have yet to be identified.
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