19 killed, 3 missing in habagat rains, floods - NDDRRMC
By: Abigail Kwok, InterAksyon.com
August 9, 2012 7:54 AM
A floating casket was used to transport vital items during the floods in Villa Espana, E. Rodriguez in Quezon City, August 8, 2012. LUIS LIWANAG
InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines - The death toll from the torrential rains that swamped Metro Manila and Luzon for the past few days has risen to 19 with three more still missing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday.
Close to 2 million people were also affected, particularly in Metro Manila, Southern Luzon,Central Luzon and Ilocos regions.
The NDRRMC said Metro Manila and Southern Luzon were most hit by severe flooding withseveral roads closed due to waist- to neck-deep floods.
Major roads were also closed down because of the floods. Several areas are also withoutpower.
The government has suspended classes in all levels in Metro Manila, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal (Rodriguez, Cainta, Binangonan and Angono), Cavite, and Batangas.
The NDRRMC said a total of 454,093 families or 1,953,481 persons were affected; 61,895 families or 292,809 persons were evacuated.
Authorities have deployed thousands of rescue personnel to save people trapped in theirhomes amid the floods.
The Department of Health has also been placed on blue alert in anticipation of surge of floodvictims.
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