Philippines president orders urgent aid as storm Nalgae kills 45

Manila, Oct. 29 (BNA) Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Saturday ordered an emergency aid distribution in a southern province caused by landslides caused by Tropical Storm Nalgi, which has killed 45 people across the country so far.

Heavy rain and strong winds battered the capital, Manila, and surrounding areas for most of Saturday, forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes and disrupting the travel rush in most parts of the country.

Nalgae is the second deadliest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, with the disaster agency reporting 45 deaths, mostly in hard-hit Maguindanao province. 33 others were wounded and 17 others were missing.

“We could have done better in Maguindanao in terms of preparedness. Forty deaths, 10 missing people, there’s a very large number,” Marcos said at a briefing with disaster management officials.

He ordered the immediate distribution of drinking water and purification systems in the province and other parts of the hard-hit southern Philippines.

In the country’s capital region, which includes Manila and other cities, flooding prompted authorities to suspend tournaments and sporting events.

The Department of Transportation said airlines canceled 116 domestic and international flights to and from the main gateway to the Philippines, which suspended operations from 0800 to 1400 GMT due to strong winds.

The Coast Guard said about 7,500 passengers and workers and 107 ships were stranded in the country’s ports.

Manila Mayor Lacona Bangan on Saturday ordered the closure of the city’s cemeteries, as millions were expected to visit them over the extended Halloween weekend.

The state weather agency said Nalgae maintained strength, with maximum winds of 95 kilometers (60 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 115 kilometers per hour (71 miles per hour) as it breached the main island of Luzon and headed into the South China Sea. .

She added that another tropical depression is gaining strength in the Pacific Ocean may enter Philippine territory on Tuesday.

Government data showed that nearly 170,000 people were forced from their homes by the storm, and nearly a third of them took refuge in evacuation centers.

Pictures released by the meteorological agency in the central province of Leyte showed coast guard personnel leading residents through deep flood waters, with rescuers using a plastic chair and an old refrigerator to float children and the elderly to safety.

Marcus said the aid response should intensify once the Nalgae are out of the wild — Sunday morning, according to the latest forecast.

“Let’s not wait for helicopters and air assets to fly,” he said. “If the weather isn’t good, find more ways to get relief, water and medicine.”

The Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical storms annually. In December, Category 5 Hurricane Ray swept through the central counties, killing 407 and injuring more than 1,100.

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