MANILE, PHILIPPINE: At least 16 people have died in severe floods in the Philippine capital, Manila, officials say. About 80 per cent of Manila, a sprawling metropolis of about 12 million people, remained inundated on Wednesday.
The government has suspended schools and sent orders for both private office workers and government offices not critical to disaster relief to stay home. “The roads in some areas are like rivers. People have to use boats to move around. All the roads and alleys are flooded,” civil defence chief Benito Ramos told AFP.
“The roads in some areas are like rivers. People have to use boats to move around. All the roads and alleys are flooded,” civil defence chief Benito Ramos told AFP. More than half the amount of rain normally seen in August has fallen in the capital in 24 hours, reports say.
Financial markets reopened after being shut on Tuesday, but schools and many businesses remained shut for a second straight day with the military, police and civic officials struggling to deliver aid. The government’s weather bureau says two storms in the area pulled in the south west monsoon further into a already rain-soaked Philippines.
Alterano spoke to AFP while wading through the waist-deep water trying to get back to her home to salvage some clothes and food. Tuesday’s deaths bring the number of people killed by the rains across the Philippines since late July to 69, according to authorities.
President Benigno Aquino called for the public’s co-operation, warning that the government did not have “infinite capabilities” to deal with the natural disaster. Ortigas added that a volunteer “Twitter brigade” is using the social medium platform to try to organise relief and get medical attention to where it’s needed.
The president also ordered local government units to deploy to “conduct a check or roll call in their areas of responsibility to ensure that all their constituents are safe”. They brought the number of people killed by the monsoon rains across the Philippines since late July to 73, according to authorities.
The government has suspended schools and sent orders for both private office workers and government offices not critical to disaster relief to stay home. “The roads in some areas are like rivers. People have to use boats to move around. All the roads and alleys are flooded,” civil defence chief Benito Ramos told AFP.
“The roads in some areas are like rivers. People have to use boats to move around. All the roads and alleys are flooded,” civil defence chief Benito Ramos told AFP. More than half the amount of rain normally seen in August has fallen in the capital in 24 hours, reports say.
Financial markets reopened after being shut on Tuesday, but schools and many businesses remained shut for a second straight day with the military, police and civic officials struggling to deliver aid. The government’s weather bureau says two storms in the area pulled in the south west monsoon further into a already rain-soaked Philippines.
Alterano spoke to AFP while wading through the waist-deep water trying to get back to her home to salvage some clothes and food. Tuesday’s deaths bring the number of people killed by the rains across the Philippines since late July to 69, according to authorities.
President Benigno Aquino called for the public’s co-operation, warning that the government did not have “infinite capabilities” to deal with the natural disaster. Ortigas added that a volunteer “Twitter brigade” is using the social medium platform to try to organise relief and get medical attention to where it’s needed.
The president also ordered local government units to deploy to “conduct a check or roll call in their areas of responsibility to ensure that all their constituents are safe”. They brought the number of people killed by the monsoon rains across the Philippines since late July to 73, according to authorities.
