68 killed in storm in the Philippines

MANILA, (Patria) - Sixty-eight people have lost their lives in the storm that hit central Philippines last week, authorities said on Monday, and the death toll could rise.

Fifty-seven victims died in the mountainous region of Bicol, southeast of Manila, and eleven on the island of Samar. Most of them drowned or were buried in landslides. The previous report stated 22 dead.

"I fear the number will still rise because there are many areas we haven't been able to reach," said Claudio Yucot, director of civil defense in Bicol.

Storm "Usman" hit the Philippines on Saturday. It was not accompanied by strong winds like those that come with typhoons, but it brought heavy rainfall that caused floods and saturated the ground, leading to numerous landslides.

Many residents did not take precautions that are usual in an archipelago accustomed to extreme climatic conditions because the storm was classified as a typhoon.

"People were not worried because they were busy with Christmas holidays and no typhoon warning was issued," Yucot told AFP.

At least 17 people are reported missing. More than 40,000 were evacuated due to the storm. Around 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines every year, claiming hundreds of lives. Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013 was the deadliest in the history of the Philippines, leaving behind more than 7,350 dead and missing.