72 people died in floods in the Philippines

At least 72 people have died in floods and mudslides in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Nalga hit the archipelago on Saturday, according to new figures released by authorities. Nalgi, due to arrive from Thursday, collided with the main island of Luzon in the Philippines with winds of 95 km/h. The country’s civil defense director, Raffaeleto Alejandro, announced that the death toll had reached 72 as of Saturday morning. According to him, at least 14 people are missing. The previous official death toll was 67. Rescuers have focused their efforts on the village of Kosig, where dozens of bodies were found on Friday. Heavy rain began on Thursday evening. The Philippine Weather Service said Nalgi could hit the capital Manila. “Based on our expectations, this storm is very strong and we have prepared for it,” Alejandro said, adding that 5,000 rescue teams are ready to intervene. Residents living in or near the path of the storm were asked to stay at home. More than 7,000 people were evacuated before the storm arrived, according to Civil Defense.