The death toll from floods and landslides in the Philippines caused by heavy rains during the holidays has risen to 32, the dpa quoted the national disaster agency as said Thursday. Twenty-four people, mostly fishermen, were still unaccounted for, according to the agency. More than 486,000 residents in over 20 provinces were affected by the bad weather, it said. Eighteen people died in the southern province of Misamis Occidental, where the heavy rains triggered widespread flash floods and landslides. The other fatalities were from the eastern provinces and other southern provinces, the agency said. A total of 101,438 people were displaced and forced to stay in evacuation centres or with relatives and friends. Damage to agriculture and infrastructure was estimated at over 301.9 million pesos ($5.5 million), the agency said.
