The number of casualties caused by Typhoon Ompong which hit the Philippines earlier this week continues to rise as missing bodies are recovered, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
As of 6:30 p.m., September 18, the PNP Public Information Office has confirmed 74 casualties while 55 others are still missing.
Of the 74 casualties, 60 were from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 10 were from Region 2, and two were from Region 3. Region 1 and the National Capital Region (NCR) also reported one casualty each.
In terms of missing persons, 52 remain missing in CAR, while Region 1 reported two people still missing. NCR also has one missing person due to the storm.
Most of the casualties and missing persons are from CAR were multiple landslides occurred particularly in Baguio and Itogon in Benguet.
Itogon mayor Victorio Palangdan revealed that 11 bodies have been recovered from the landslide that buried a number of people inside a makeshift chapel in the area.
It is still unclear how many individuals are still trapped inside but Palangdan has expressed that the chances of recovering survivors from the landslide is slim.
Currently, the Special Action Force (SAF) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) are still trying to retrieve bodies from the landslide.
PHOTO FROM: PNA
