Manila, September 28: Philippine authorities on Monday were struggling to help hundreds of thousands of people displaced by massive floods in the capital and outlying areas brought about by storm Ketsana.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the government has shifted from search and rescue operations to relief work as the death toll in the deluge has been steadily rising.
“Right now, we will concentrate really on providing food and other necessities,” he said.
Anthony Golez, a spokesman for the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), said the national and local governments were overwhelmed by the massive destruction caused by the floods.
“We are used to helping one city, one or two provinces but now, they are following one after another,” he said. “Our assets and people are spread too thinly.”
The NDCC, local officials and police have reported at least 144 people have died, mostly due to drowning in more than 6 metres of floodwaters, while scores remained missing.
Nearly 500,000 people were affected by the floods, the worst to hit Manila in 40 years following record rainfall. More than 110,000 people were in evacuation centres.
Damage to property and agriculture was estimated at 60.5 million pesos (1.38 million dollars), according to the NDCC.
The weather bureau said Ketsana has left the Philippines on the way to Vietnam, but warned that two more tropical depressions were threatening to affect the country in the next two or three days.
–Agencies–