Philippines: 31 missing, three dead after massive storm Conson makes landfall

As many as 31 people have been reported missing and 3 have died since Monday after a massive storm hit the Philippines. The report of the casualties was confirmed by the government agency on Thursday. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, tropical storm Conson has affected over 83,000 people in Metro Manila and five other surrounding regions, with nearly 10,000 people evacuated from storm-affected areas.

The country has been witnessing heavy downpours which have resulted in a flood-like situation along with landslides in several areas followed by storm paths. Weather experts have warned of more such storms in the coming days near the South China Sea. Among the people who were reported missing were fishermen who had gone near the coast to fish despite high tides and rough weather. The country's disaster agency said the fishermen who are missing after the storm didn't follow the government's warning.

31 people missing & 3 dead after storm hits Philippines

According to a report published by Xinhua, the giant storm hit land in the central Philippines late Monday night, while the weather forecast suggests the storm is likely to exit on Thursday night. In the last 3 days, the powerful storm has caused damage to many properties, including over 3000 houses in four regions. Meanwhile, the situation after the storm is not under full control. Rescue operations in the storm-hit areas have started, whereas security officials in large numbers have been deployed in the storm-driven areas.

While briefing the media about the devastating storm, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement that electricity restoration and clearing operations on roads are ongoing in the damaged areas. After the storm, many communication networks along with powerhouses were completely damaged. However, the official is trying to restore the situation to normalcy. Meanwhile, the Philippines is also closely monitoring Typhoon Chanthu. The strong storm is expected to leave the country in the next two days. Experts claim that typhoon Chanthu is currently battering the northern part of the main Luzon island.

(IMAGE: AP)