Philippines' typhoon toll reaches 81 amid rescue efforts
Manila, Sep 19: Philippines authorities on Wednesday raised the death toll to 81 and the number of missing to 70 following typhoon Mangkhut's path through the country's north where rescuers continue searching for dozens of people trapped in a mine buried by a landslide.
The strongest typhoon of the season swept the north of the island of Luzon on Saturday. The number affected by the typhoon now exceeds one million, Efe news reported.
Out of those missing, 66 were registered in the Cordillera region where the mining town of Itogon, Benguet province, is located. There, at least 39 deaths were confirmed at a mine amid the ongoing rescue efforts.
In Itogon, floods and landslides caused by Mangkhut also buried an area with gold mining sites and several makeshift shelters where some miners and their families lived illegally.
At least 200 people, including experts and volunteers, have been working since Sunday to rescue those trapped and as of Tuesday night had recovered 19 bodies by digging with picks and shovels in the mud as heavy machinery could not reach the area.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 148,400 people were being helped inside and outside evacuation centres.
Authorities estimated that most of these people will have to stay at least three more weeks in the centres, where hygiene, sanitation and drinking water conditions were becoming increasingly precarious, according to the Red Cross.
"In this first intervention, our priority is to guarantee water and sanitation to the affected population, and later we will focus on the economic security of the families," said the head of Red Cross' Spain delegation in the Philippines, Luis Carrasco.
Red Cross teams were planning to deploy water treatment plants in Benguet as they could not manage to reach further north. "As we go north and find water points, we will install more treatment plants," Carrasco said.
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Sound effect: Farmers play music on solar-powered speakers to keep tigers at bay in Pilibhit
Pilibhit (UP) (PTI): Farmers living in villages adjoining the Mala range of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve have devised an unusual method to keep tigers away from their fields during sugarcane harvesting – playing loud music on solar-powered sound systems.
According to the farmers, the continuous noise helps deter wild animals from entering their fields.
As sugarcane fields are dense and the visibility is low, the risk of sudden encounters with tigers remains high during the harvesting season.
Forest officials described the initiative as a “desi jugaad” that not only enhances safety but also adds an element of entertainment, with loud music echoing across the fields during work hours.
The method has emerged as a unique way to check human-animal conflict.
Ramnagaria, Ajitpur, Jamunia, Mahua, Mala Ghera, Richhola and Basantapur are among the villages located close to the Mala range that frequently witness tiger movement, keeping the residents on edge. Recently, fresh tiger pugmarks were found in a field in Mahua.
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According to forest officials, Krishna Kumar and his associates in Jamunia village pioneered the “musical” method to deal with the threat.
“Working in the dense sugarcane fields is risky business. We believe wild animals move away due to noise, so playing songs loudly helps keep them at a distance,” Kumar said.
The method is proving effective, enabling farmers to carry out agricultural activities in groups without fear, the villagers said.
Several farmers, including Gaurishankar, Tinku, Ram Bahadur, Rakesh Kumar, Prabhu Dayal and Lalaram, have joined Kumar in implementing this innovative approach.
Deputy Ranger Sher Singh said the forest department is also making continuous efforts to spread awareness among the villagers.
“The department is organising meetings to educate farmers about safe and scientific methods to protect themselves from wildlife,” he told reporters.
