Floods evacuate 46,000 in Philippines on Christmas Day
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Representational. (AFP photo)
Manila: Floods in Philippines on Christmas day forced to evacuate more than 46,000 people from their homes, Agence France Presse reported citing defence officials on Monday.
Heavy rainfall and consequent floods took two lives, while nine others went missing in southern areas of Mindanao. AFP writes that the severe floods dampened the mostly Catholic-populated country.
Civil defence worker Robinson Lacre informed AFP that waters rose above chest levels in some places, but rains stopped on Monday. Lacre talked through the phone from Gingoog city, where 33,000 were evacuated.
In Ozamiz city and Clarin town, more than two dozen families were rescued by the coast guard. Photos showed coastguards rescuing toddlers from affected houses, which were in waist-deep flood waters.
The central and southern Philippines were mostly hit by the problematic weather. As it is Christmas, millions flock to their hometowns for family reunions.
Off the coast of the central island of Leyte, strong waves and winds sank a fishing boat on Sunday, coast guards said. When two got killed, six others were rescued.
The disaster-prone Philippines, populated by 110 million people, is ranked among the most vulnerable countries which get impacted by climate change. Scientists warn that the more the climate gets warmer, the more the storms are getting stronger.