Death toll in typhoon-hit Philippines rises to 14

The death toll in the typhoon-battered Philippines has risen to 14, an official said Friday, after some of the worst flooding in years swamped villages and forced thousands to flee their homes, AFP reports. 

Torrential rain dumped by Typhoon Vamco -- the third powerful storm to hit the country in as many weeks -- inundated low-lying areas of Manila and surrounding provinces, trapping people on rooftops and balconies.

As floodwaters receded and residents began to return home, the scale of the destruction left by Vamco became clearer.

In Marikina City, one of the hardest hit areas of the capital, mud-covered washing machines, televisions, couches, office chairs and bicycles were piled up on streets as residents swept debris and murky water from their houses.

Hundreds of thousands were still without power after Vamco lashed the most populous island of Luzon on Wednesday and Thursday, triggering landslides, toppling trees and cutting off roads.

The typhoon claimed at least 14 lives and left another eight injured and 14 missing, said Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Some deaths were still being verified, officials said, suggesting the toll was likely to rise.

The military put the number of fatalities at 39 with 22 missing.

News.Az 

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