Philippine storm toll exceeds 800

December 19, 2011 – ILIGAN: The Philippines prepared for mass burials of flash-flood victims Monday to minimise the health risk from rotting cadavers after a disaster that has left many hundreds dead or missing. Hard-pressed authorities in the port cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, on the desperately poor and conflict-torn southern island of Mindanao, are struggling to cope with the enormous devastation left by tropical storm Washi. The death toll stands at 652 dead and 911 people are listed as missing, according to Philippine National Red Cross chief Gwendolyn Pang, after Washi triggered flash floods and landslides that swept away entire coastal villages. Bodies that were washed out to sea have begun rising to the surface, and mortuaries are overwhelmed as emergency teams struggle to find survivors and tend to some 47,000 people huddled in evacuation centres.

…(Times of India)

December 19, 2011 – MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it will transport some 500 caskets to the storm-ravaged areas in Northern Mindanao as the death toll from flash floods spawned by tropical storm “Sendong” exceeded 800 as of Monday morning.
…(MB)

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