Red Cross Confirms 750 Dead After Philippine Floods

Over 120,000 people in the Philippines are in desperate need, following the devastating floods that swept through the region Satuday morning. Today 750 people have been confirmed dead and another 500 still missing.

Disaster relief agencies are being urged to send disaster relief supplies immediately. The Philipines flood victims need food, water, and medicine. Much of the flood devastation took place in a remote village, making the delivery of disaster relief supplies that much more difficult. About 40,000 people on Mindanao are living in evacuation centers after losing their homes and possessions.

Although the Philippines is struck by tropical storms every year, Mindanoa usually escapes the worst damage and didn't have the same disaster relief system in place as the rest of the country. While other parts of the Philippines have detailed plans of what to do if a strong storm or typhoon happens, it appears that the people of Mindanoa were not only caught off guard while sleeping, but also unprepared to deal with the aftermath of the floods.

With the mounting death toll, Philippine officials are now resorting to mass graves to bury the deceased. Strict guidelines would have to be followed for mass burials, including photographing corpses and listing identifying marks, said Philippine Red Cross chief Gwendolyn Pang.

The flash floods struck in the early hours of Saturday as a passing tropical storm coincided with high tides. As rivers burst their banks, many were trapped in their homes while in other areas entire villages are reported to have been swept away.

To make matters worse, many surmise that the large number of reported deaths can be attributed to late night Christmas parties and people being sound asleep when the floods took their toll on the Philippines.