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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Supreme Court forms National Task Force to check rising student suicides
New Delhi: In response to the alarming rise in student suicides across higher educational institutions, the Supreme Court has formed a National Task Force (NTF) to devise effective measures to prevent such tragedies and tackle the underlying mental health issues.
A two-judge bench, comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan, instructed the Delhi Police to register an FIR following the complaints of the families of two students who tragically died by suicide while studying at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, in 2023. The top court ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest District) to ensure the FIR is filed and assign an officer not below the rank of Assistant Police Commissioner for investigation, as reported by The New Indian Express on Tuesday.
Recognising the urgency of the situation, the Supreme Court directed the formation of the NTF, which will be led by former Supreme Court judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat. The Task Force has been given four months to submit a comprehensive report identifying the root causes of student suicides and to propose strategies to strengthen preventive measures.
The apex court emphasised that these tragedies highlight a critical need for a robust, comprehensive, and responsive mechanism that addresses the multifaceted pressures students face. It further underscored that failing to establish such a mechanism would signify a failure in fulfilling the true purpose of education, which is to uplift, empower, and transform lives, the report added.
It further stressed that authorities, including the NTF, should not only exercise authority over students but also offer vital support during times of crisis. The bench lamented the loss of countless young students with immense potential who could have grown into successful professionals contributing to the nation's progress.
It also referenced the 210th report of the Law Commission of India, which identified suicide as a significant factor in the premature loss of life. The bench pointed out the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2021 revealed a grim reality: over 13,000 students died by suicide, nearly double the number recorded a decade ago.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
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