The death toll from floods in the Philippine capital and northern provinces has climbed to 60 with seven people missing, dpa quoted the national disaster response agency as saying Friday. Forty-three of the victims drowned in flooding or rivers swollen by days of heavy monsoon rains, while 11 were killed in landslides, four died of electrocution and two of heart attacks, the Office of Civil Defence said. Most of the missing were swept away attempting to cross rivers. Fourteen people were injured in the flooding, which began Tuesday, according to reports from the agency and police. More than half a million people were displaced by the deluge, with 362,307 staying in cramped evacuation centres and 284,177 taking shelter with relatives and friends, the Office of Civil Defence said. Benito Ramos, head of the agency, said he expects the number of evacuees to go down as residents returned home amid the improving weather. "Floods are receding everywhere, allowing us to focus on relief and clean-up operations," he said. "People are returning to their homes, but those whose houses were damaged will still need to stay in evacuation centres." A total of 3,135 houses were damaged in the floods that swamped Manila and 16 northern provinces, he said. In total, 2.44 million people were affected by the floods, the worst since 2009 when flash floods triggered by Tropical Storm Ketsana left 501 dead and missing in Manila and surrounding provinces. Ramos said heavy equipment has been dispatched to clear tons of waste and sediment from roads around Manila, while pumps were being used to drain stagnant floods in underpasses in the metropolis. Thousands of residents were also cleaning their houses, shoveling mud and debris out of their homes and washing furniture and clothes. "It will take weeks before we can get everything cleaned," said a man who identified himself only as Robert as he piled up soiled clothes recovered from their house in the Manila suburb of Marikina City.
