Death toll from Storm Agathon in the Philippines tops 160

Tropical Storm Agathon (Megi) in the Philippines has killed 167 people and left 110 missing. This is reported by the Inquirer with reference to the National Emergency Management Council (NDRRMC) of the country.

According to the latest NDRRMC count, 151 deaths were recorded in the provinces of Samar and Leyte in the Eastern Visayas, 11 in the Western Visayas, three in the Davao region and two in the Central Visayas. Another 110 people are missing and eight are in serious condition.

The council added that 1.9 million people were evacuated due to the storm. More than 200,000 people have been sheltered in 959 temporary evacuation points, according to the NDRRMC.

The last time a natural disaster covered the Philippines was in mid-December last year: then, due to the strongest typhoon Rai, more than 200 people died and another 239 were injured. As noted by Reuters, Rai has become one of the most powerful typhoons in the past year on the entire planet. Because of it, more than 300 thousand people were evacuated. The typhoon led to power outages and flooding.

On December 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram of condolences to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. “Please accept my sincere condolences in connection with the tragic consequences of the typhoon that hit the central regions of your country,” the telegram said. Putin noted that Russia shares the grief of the Philippines and hopes for the recovery of the victims.