According to authorities, at least eleven people died in floods caused by heavy rains in the Philippines, and many people are missing.
In some areas, water rose “above chest height” on Christmas Day, the most important holiday in the predominantly Catholic country, a civil defense official told the AFP news agency on Monday.
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Just before the start of the Christmas holidays, when millions of people traditionally visit their families, the rain hit the central and southern regions of the island state in full force.
According to authorities, around 46,000 people in the southern region of Mindanao were forced to leave their homes due to the floods. In the city of Gingoog, in the center of the country, 33,000 of the 45,700 inhabitants had to be evacuated.
Rescuers evacuate a child. © AFP
The Coast Guard said it had rescued members of more than two dozen families in the southern towns of Ozamiz and Clarin. Footage released by the Coast Guard showed rescuers holding small children as they struggled out of houses in waist-deep water.
According to authorities, 33,000 residents had to be evacuated in the central city of Gingoog. A fishing boat capsized off the coast of the island of Leyte, in the center of the country, due to strong winds and high waves, the coast guard said. Two crew members lost their lives, while six others were saved. Authorities said several people in different parts of the country had drowned, including a young girl.
The Philippines is among the countries most affected by the impacts of climate change. According to scientists, storms and heavy rains in the Asian country are increasing in intensity and frequency as a result of climate change. (AFP)
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