MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) has claimed at least 81 lives, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Saturday.
OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno announced the death toll on Saturday, October 26, during a news forum in Quezon City, saying the figures remain subject to validation.
OCD data showed most reported deaths were in Calabarzon with 48, followed by Bicol Region with 28.
Around 66 individuals were reported injured while 34 remain missing.
According to the OCD, Kristine has also left 4.4 million people or 1.06 million families severely impacted, with 311,468 individuals still in evacuation centers as of Saturday morning.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported the storm caused floods across 547 areas, including those in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Damage to infrastructure, currently valued at P203.8 million, spans 98 roads, bridges and schools.
In the agricultural sector, losses amounting to P87.5 million were recorded, impacting over 3,000 farmers and 1,613 hectares of crops.
So far, 83 cities and municipalities have been placed under a state of calamity due to Kristine’s impact.
A 60-day price freeze has been implemented in areas severely affected by Kristine to help communities cope with the aftermath.
The trough of Kristine continues to bring scattered rains and thunderstorms across parts of Southern Luzon even after leaving the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon.
State weather bureau PAGASA warned that Kristine could potentially re-enter PAR, depending on the development of other cyclones, including Kong-Rey, which is still outside PAR.