AUTHORITIES said yesterday the death toll from the two typhoons that pummelled the country two weeks ago had reached 101, with tens of thousands of people still displaced by massive flooding. Typhoon “Pedring,” which struck Luzon’s low-lying agricultural plains, left 82 dead in its wake, while Typhoon “Quiel” — which hit five days later — killed 19, the Office of Civil Defense said. Most of those killed fell victim to floods that swept through Luzon’s farming towns, while the remainder were either electrocuted by fallen power lines or crushed by debris and landslides. Twenty-seven remain missing, raising the prospect that the death toll could still rise. More than 67,000 people remain in evacuation centers across more than 40 provinces in Luzon, most of them in low-lying agricultural areas where rivers and tributaries overflowed with heavy rains. Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said those displaced were being served in 78 evacuation centers, although tens of thousands more still needed help after deciding to return home to houses still immersed in waist-deep water. “Affected families are now going home to start anew. Consequently, we are now preparing for their rehabilitation on top of the relief assistance being provided to those still in evacuation centers,” Soliman said in a statement. Officials estimated Saturday that waist-deep floods in several Luzon towns would likely persist for one more month, with a low pressure area hovering over the country continuing to bring rain.
