KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (KUNA) -- The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced Tuesday that the death toll from Typhoon Uwan has risen to 18, while the storm forced the displacement of around 4.2 million residents across Luzon Island.
Assistant Defense Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro said in a press briefing that 12 victims died from landslides, drowning, and electrocution, adding that two people remain missing and 28 others sustained various injuries.
Alejandro explained that the typhoon affected more than 6,900 local communities and displaced about 653,000 families totaling 2.4 million individuals with around 804,000 families still sheltering in over 11,000 evacuation centers nationwide.
He took note that Catanduanes Island was among the hardest-hit areas, facing severe water shortages that could last up to 20 days, saying that relief operations are ongoing, with 10,000 food packages dispatched to reinforce local supplies.
Government and local assistance have so far reached PHP 48.9 million (approximately USD 850,000), he added, stressing that national and local agencies remain "on full alert" to restore essential services such as water, electricity, and road access in the affected areas. (end) ayb.sar