Philippines rain, floods kill 17

Manila: Heavy rain which have triggered floods and landslides in the Philippines since January 1 have killed 17 and affected over 500,000 people, a government disaster agency said on Friday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in a report that it has tallied 17 deaths in five regions from rains brought about by the combined effects of low-pressure areas, the northeast monsoon, and the shear line, reports Xinhua news agency.

The authorities were looking for two more missing people.

The weather has affected 13 regions, mainly in central and southern Philippines.

These areas have been grappling with flooding over the Christmas weekend that persisted after the New Year.

The agency said the disaster displaced more than 70,000 people who were temporarily housed in over 120 evacuation centres.

An area in the southern Mindanao region and four areas in central Philippines were under a state of calamity.

In a statement released on Friday morning, the state weather bureau warned that a low-pressure area, now located 85 km east of Surigao del Sur province, will bring more rain in Bicol region and central and southern Philippines.