Toll from Philippine tropical storm rises to 200

The death toll from mudslides and flooding triggered by tropical storm Tembin has risen to 200, police said here on Saturday night.

Tembin has also left dozens of others missing as it has been pounding the southern Philippines and dumping torrential rains in its way since early on Friday, Xinhua reported.

In a report, Superintendent Lemuel Gonda of the provincial Philippine National Police (PNP) said 135 people have died in Northern Mindanao and 47 in Zamboanga Peninsula during the storm.

Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said 18 people were also killed in the ARMM region.

Of the 135 killed in Northern Mindanao, 127 people were from Lanao del Norte, six from Bukidnon, one from Iligan, and one from Misamis Occidental. About 72 others are still missing, the police said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is still culling reports from the storm-ravaged region.

NDRRNC spokeswoman Romina Marasigan earlier said that the agency has received unofficial reports of 75 people who have died and 58 people missing in the region.

"These are consolidated reports but these are subject to validation," Marasigan said.

In its latest forecast, the state weather bureau Pagasa said that severe tropical storm Tembin made a landfall in Baalbac, Palawan Saturday night. It warned that the storm "may intently turn into a typhoon before exiting the Philippines" on Sunday.

"Scattered to widespread, moderate to heavy rains will prevail over Palawan, while scattered light to moderate with at times of heavy rains are expected over the western section of Visayas and Mindanao within 24 hours," the bureau said.

The bureau also warned more flooding and landslides, and reiterated that sea travels remains risky.

Tembin battered the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Friday, triggering floods and mudslides in the region.

--IANS

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