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Trami’s Devastation in the Philippines: A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds
In the wake of tropical storm Trami, the Philippines is grappling with immense loss, as the combined dead and missing toll has surged to nearly 130. Many regions remain cut off, with residents desperately awaiting rescue.
The storm, which moved away from the northwestern part of the archipelago on Friday, initially reported at least 85 fatalities and 41 individuals unaccounted for. Government officials expect this number to rise as more information surfaces from the isolated areas severely affected by the storm.
Rescue teams in the lakeside town of Talisay, located in Batangas province, have been tirelessly working to locate those who went missing. On Saturday, after an exhaustive search operation involving police, firefighters, and volunteers, the remains of one of the last two missing villagers were recovered from the debris.
One father, anxiously waiting for news of his 14-year-old daughter, broke down as rescuers placed his daughter’s body in a bag. A poignant moment of grief unfolded as he followed the officers carrying her remains, comforted by a nearby community member who expressed her condolences.
At the town’s basketball gymnasium, a somber sight unfolded as numerous white coffins were arranged in a line. These coffins contained the remains of those who had been swept away by the devastating landslides and torrents of mud and rocks that engulfed the area on Thursday.
President Ferdinand Marcos conducted an inspection of another severely impacted region southeast of Manila on Saturday, emphasizing the storm’s extraordinary rainfall. Certain areas received the equivalent of one to two months’ worth of rain in a mere 24 hours, overwhelming existing flood defenses.
Marcos remarked, “The water was just too much,” signaling the scale of the disaster. He pointed out that rescue operations are ongoing, as many regions remain inundated and inaccessible to larger vehicles. The government is now considering a significant flood control initiative to address the severe challenges posed by increasingly frequent and intense weather phenomena, attributed to climate change.
The storm has affected over five million people, with nearly half a million seeking refuge in more than 6,300 emergency shelters across various provinces.
In an emergency cabinet meeting, concerns were raised regarding meteorological predictions that the storm—the 11th of the year—could loop back towards the Philippines next week due to high-pressure systems in the South China Sea. If this occurs, the storm may strike Vietnam over the weekend as well.
As safety measures, the Philippine government suspended schools and closed government offices for a third consecutive day, aiming to protect millions on Luzon, the main northern island. Ferry services between islands were also halted, leaving many stranded.
While weather conditions improved in various regions by Saturday, allowing for cleanup efforts to begin, the resilience of communities remains crucial in the face of such disasters. The Philippines is no stranger to storms, facing approximately 20 typhoons annually due to its geographic location between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. The scale of destruction wrought by past storms, such as Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which left over 7,300 people dead or missing, serves as a reminder of the continuing vulnerability of the nation.
Source
www.cbc.ca