Floods in Philippines leave 51 dead, over a dozen missing
Manila (AP): The death toll in the massive floods that devastated parts of the Philippines over the Christmas weekend has climbed to 51, with 19 others missing, the national disaster response agency said Monday, as affected residents struggle to get back on their feet.
Photos on social media showed residents in Misamis Occidental province in Northern Mindanao sweeping away thick mud from the floors of their homes. In the seaside village of Cabol-anonan, coconut trees were uprooted and huts made of light material were nearly flattened.
The Northern Mindanao region in the south bore the brunt of the disaster, reporting 25 deaths, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Most of the deaths were from drowning and landslides, and among the missing were fishermen whose boats capsized.
Floods have subsided in most of the areas hit by bad weather that disrupted Christmas celebrations in the eastern, central and southern Philippines. But over 8,600 of the nearly 600,000 affected people remain in emergency shelters.
Over 4,500 houses were damaged by the floods, along with roads and bridges, and some areas still have disrupted power and water supply, the disaster management agency said. The government sent food and other essentials to flood-hit residents, deployed heavy equipment for clearing operations, and provided iron sheets and shelter repair kits, officials said.
Teams from the capital Manila were sent to assist communities with limited clean water in setting up water filtration systems.
At least 22 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity, the disaster management council said. The move will allow the release of emergency funds and hasten rehabilitation efforts.
A shear line the point where warm and cold air meet triggered heavy rains in parts of the country last week, causing the floods, the state weather bureau said. (AP)
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BLO found dead in Bengal, work-related pressure alleged
Kolkata (PTI): A Booth Level Officer (BLO) was found dead in West Bengal's Bankura district on Sunday, triggering allegations that work-related pressure linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have played a role, police said.
The incident occurred in Ranibandh block, where the body of the deceased, Haradhan Mandal, was recovered from a school premises on Sunday morning.
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"Mandal was a schoolteacher by profession and served as the BLO of Booth No. 206 under the Rajakata area of Ranibandh block," a police officer said.
According to the officer, a note bearing the deceased's signature was recovered from the spot, in which he reportedly referred to being unable to cope with work pressure.
"We have seized the note and sent the body for post-mortem examination," he said.
The police initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to Mandal's death.
Officials said all angles are being examined.
"Till now, 39 ordinary citizens, including four BLOs, have died due to SIR panic, including suicides," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed on December 2.
The SIR exercise began in the state on November 4.
