The death toll in flashfloods and landslides in the Philippines rose to 32 with 10 more people missing, DPA quoted the governmental sources as saying Sunday. The National Disaster Coordinating Council said most of the fatalities were from the impoverished province of Eastern Samar, 630 kilometres south-east of Manila, where several towns have been submerged by floodwaters. More than 4,000 houses have been totally or partially damaged in at least nine provinces, and the government estimated the damages to agriculture and infrastructure to reach 1.04 billion pesos (25.67 million dollars). President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Eastern Samar on Saturday to oversee the distribution of the relief goods and the rehabilitation of the province. The weather bureau said continuous heavy rains that triggered the floods and landslides were cause by a low-pressure system.
