Tropical Storm Nalgi: 45 dead as Baeng hits Philippines



CNN

Tropical Storm Nalgi has killed at least 45 people and injured dozens in the Philippines, the country’s disaster agency said Saturday.

Another 14 people were missing after the attack Stormknown locally as Paeng, made landfall on Friday packing winds of 75 kilometers (46 miles) per hour.

The National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management announced the death toll at 72, before it was adjusted downward. The group blamed an “increased number” by local officials for the initial figure, according to state media.

The provinces and cities in the south were the hardest hit by the storm. A “state of disaster” was declared in Cotabato City, Mindanao, where about 67,000 residents were affected by the storm.

The Disaster Management Board reported that the neighboring city of Obi, with a population of only 60,000, was inundated, with thousands forced to flee to higher ground.

Overall, authorities said nearly 185,000 people across the country were affected by the storm, with more than 8,000 temporarily homeless.

Pictures and videos of search and rescue efforts showed bodies being pulled out of water and thick mud, with residents trapped on rooftops.

Storms are expected to hit the capital, Manila, and neighboring provinces over the weekend, according to state meteorological officials, as Nalgi breaks through the main island of Luzon and heads into the South China Sea.

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