According to the authorities, two people died in floods caused by heavy rains in the Philippines, nine others were missing.
In some areas, the water rose “above chest height” on Christmas Day, the most important holiday in the predominantly Catholic country, a civil defense worker told the AFP news agency on Monday.
Just before the start of the Christmas holidays, when millions of people traditionally visit their families, the rain hit the central and southern regions of the island state with full force.
According to the authorities, around 46,000 people in the southern region of Mindanao were forced to leave their homes due to the floods. In the city of Gingoog in the center of the country, 33,000 of the 45,700 inhabitants had to be evacuated.
The Coast Guard said it rescued members of more than two dozen families in the southern cities of Ozamiz and Clarin. Footage released by the Coast Guard showed responders holding small children as they extricated themselves from homes with waist-deep water.
The Philippines is among the countries most affected by the impacts of climate change. According to scientists, storms and heavy rain events in the Asian country are increasing in intensity and frequency as a result of climate change. (AFP)
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