- Title: PHILIPPINES: Typhoon leaves 86 dead and tens of thousands displaced
- Date: 29th September 2009
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT ARREN ATANACIO, PHILIPPINE POLICE, SAYING: "The problem now is that the children are getting sick. Some have cuts on their heads, some have sprains. They're asking for medicines for fever and coughs, which are spreading because they're all squeezed together." MAN CLEANING SEWING MACHINE ON STREET MAN CLEANING SHOES FIREMEN CLEANING MUD ON ROAD CAR ON TOP OF FENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) NORITO AMIDO, FLORIST, SAYING: "It will be hard to return to normal in this situation. Almost everyone is suffering." FLORIST FIXING FLOWERS FLORIST FIXING FLOWER SHOP
- Embargoed: 14th October 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Philippines
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA5H554U9W1I4VMW80B307BO0TA
- Story Text: Typhoon Ketsana has displaced around 145,000 people around the Philippines, with many still waiting to be rescued from flood-hit areas.
Typhoon Ketsana, which killed 86 people in the Philippines, has affected around half a million people, with more than 116,000 staying in evacuation centres, according to a disaster report released on Monday (September 28).
Many were air-lifted from their rooftops over the weekend as they escaped neck-high floods.
On Monday, rescue operations of residents in low-lying areas in Manila still marooned in floods and the search for another 32 still missing continued.
Many schools also served as temporary shelters for thousands of displaced families, while government agencies and private citizens distributed food, water and clothes to flood victims.
"All I can say is that it's so difficult here in the evacuation centre. We're crowded in one place. We're with our children and other evacuees here," said mother of five, Teresa Samson.
The government has been criticised for its handling of the crisis and dozens of angry people called radio stations to appeal for help and blame state agencies for lack of preparation.
"The problem now is that the children are getting sick. Some have cuts on their heads, some have sprains. They're asking for medicines for fever and coughs, which are spreading because they're all squeezed together," senior superintendent Arren Atanacio of the Phillippine police told Reuters.
In the district of Marikina in the eastern part of Manila, around 4,000 were displaced from their homes, police said.
While flood waters have subsided in their community, lives have not yet returned to normal.
"It will be hard to return to normal in this situation. Almost everyone is suffering," said 54-year old florist Norito Amido, who just managed to reopen his shop on Monday after it was heavily damaged in the floods over the weekend.
Ketsana brought the heaviest rainfall in the country in 40 years. About 410 mm of rain fell in 24 hours on Saturday (September 26), twice the amount that drenched the U.S. during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Typhoon Ketsana, packing winds of up to 105 kilometres per hour (65 miles per hour), hit the Philippines on Saturday and has moved towards the South China Sea.
An average of about 20 typhoons strike the Southeast Asian nation every year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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