At least 72 people died in floods and landslides in the Philippines when tropical storm Nalgae hit the archipelago on Saturday, according to a new report released by the authorities.
Nalgae, expected since Thursday, hit Luzon, the main island of the Philippines, accompanied by winds reaching 95 km / h, an hour after making landfall before dawn on the sparsely inhabited island of Catanduanes.
As of Saturday morning, the death toll stood at 72, the country's director of civil protection, Rafaelito Alejandro, announced.
He said at least 14 people were still missing.
The previous official death toll was 67.
Rescuers are focusing their efforts on the village of Kusiong, where dozens of bodies were found on Friday.
The heavy rains began Thursday evening in the region.
And Nalgae could hit the capital Manila, the Philippine Meteorological Service said.
“Based on our projections, this storm is very strong and we have prepared for it,”
said Rafaelito Alejandro, adding that 5,000 teams of a few rescuers each were ready to intervene.
Read alsoThe Philippines hit by super-typhoon Noru
Residents living in or near the storm's path are asked to stay home.
More than 7,000 people were evacuated before the storm hit, according to the civil defense office.
An average of 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines each year, killing people and livestock in their path, and ravaging farms, homes, roads and bridges, although the south is rarely affected.
As the planet is affected by global warming, storms and typhoons are becoming more powerful, scientists warn.
At the end of September, Typhoon Noru killed at least 10 people in the Philippines, including five rescuers.
Tropical storm Megi, which hit the country in April, killed at least 148 people and caused massive landslides.