At least three people have died and four others were injured as a result of the severe tropical storm Ma On in the Philippines, which made landfall last Tuesday with torrential rains and strong winds, official sources reported Thursday.
According to data released today by the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMC), the fatal victims would be three men, aged between 26 and 70 years.
Two of the men died from injuries sustained after falling trees in the Cagayan and Kalinga regions, while the third death was caused by drowning in Camarines Sur province.
The powerful storm, known in the Philippines as Florita, which left the country the day before and is now headed for Hong Kong, has also left at least four injured, including three men and a woman, the Council added in its report.
The intense rains and strong winds, which reached 180 kilometers per hour, affected almost 12,000 families and more than 47,000 people, in addition to forcing the evacuation of some 10,355 individuals, while the authorities recorded at least 61 incidents related to the storm.
Likewise, the Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., determined on Tuesday the suspension of work in government offices and classes in hundreds of cities in the country, just one day after schools resumed face-to-face activities after more two years closed due to the covid-19 crisis.
Florita’s passage through the Philippines caused floods and landslides in various locations, and left a trail of destruction that caused material damage to infrastructure, partial or total blockages of bridges, and downed power lines.
According to the National Council, the authorities have already allocated more than 4.8 million Philippine pesos (about 133,667 dollars) to assist those affected by the natural disaster.