Tropical storm death toll rises to 15 in Philippines
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The death toll from tropical storm Aere on Monday rose to 15 people on top, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said.
Josefina Timoteo, OCD operations chief, said most of the fatalities were from the worst-hit Bicol region with nine dead, followed by eastern Visayas with two deaths, and one in the Capital Region and central Luzon each.
"Our target was zero casualty but we did not meet our target but the 13 (fatalities) is still small compared with the previous tropical storms," Timoteo told reporters.
In a report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said about 21,320 families or 111,473 people, mostly from Bicol and eastern Visayas regions, have been affected.
As of Monday noon, the NDRRMC said, at least 663 passengers remained stranded at various ports in Bicol and southern Tagalog regions as suspension of sea travel remains in effect.
It said that as of Monday evening, some Northern Samar towns and the entire provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes and Camarines Sur were still experiencing power blackout.
In the province of Bulacan, a tornado hit Calumpit town Saturday, destroying four houses and damaging 37 others.
Timoteo said reports of damages to properties and crops may start arriving at his office as damage assessment teams are due to conduct inspection of the sites devastated by the calamity.
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