Death toll from Typhoon Vamco in Philippines climbs to 7
Rescuers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) evacuate residents from the flood brought by typhoon Vamco in Manila, the Philippines, on Nov. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
The death toll from Typhoon Vamco that barrelled across the Philippines' main island of Luzon since Wednesday has climbed to seven, a government disaster management agency said on Thursday.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said those killed include an elderly man found dead on the roof of his house, a man who drowned, an elderly man who slipped, an elderly man hit by a bunch of bamboo trees, and three crushed when a warehouse collapsed.
At least four people are reported missing, the disaster management agency said.
Vamco lashed a big part of Luzon island, home to 110 million people, from Wednesday to Thursday while the country is still reeling from Typhoon Goni, the most powerful typhoon in the world this year.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte conducted an aerial inspection of areas hit by the onslaught of Typhoon Vamco, including Marikina City and Rizal province, where hundreds of people were stranded due to massive flooding.
Even Duterte's office in Manila was not spared from Typhoon Vamco. Duterte's office released photos showing murky grey water from Pasig River overflowed into a riverside walkway near Duterte's office at the presidential golf clubhouse and his Manila residence.
Duterte mobilized various government agencies to respond to the situation on the ground.
"I renew my call on all local government units and concerned agencies to ensure that the well-being and safety of our people remain the top priority," he said in a televised public address.
He assured the people that the government "will do its best to assist in the form of shelters, relief goods, financial aid, and post-disaster counseling."
"Rest assured, the government will not leave anybody behind. We will get through this crisis," Duterte said.
Typhoon Vamco, the third powerful cyclone to batter the Philippines in 11 days, made landfall on Wednesday night, unleashed fierce winds and intense rains that triggered landslide, rockslide, and flash floods that left neighborhood submerged and people appealing for aid and rescue.
Vamco also felled trees and caused a massive power outage in Metro Manila and several provinces.
Vamco, packing sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 200 kilometers per hour, is blowing away to the South China Sea.
Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world, including active volcanoes, frequent earthquakes, and an average of 20 typhoons a year, causing floods and landslides.
