On Saturday, the Philippines drastically reduced the number of fatalities caused by the tropical cyclone wreaking havoc on the nation, reporting that just 45 had died instead of the previously reported 72.
According to civil defense authorities, rescue crews deployed to the country’s flood-ravaged south on Friday made a reporting error that resulted in some fatalities being counted twice.
“We realized there were only 40 dead, 31 wounded, and 15 missing when we aggregated the data at 6:00 am today,” Naguib Sinarimbo, spokesperson and head of civil defense for the southern area, told AFP.
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At a press conference in Manila, national civil defense head Rafaelito Alejandro also verified the lower estimate, stating that 40 dead had been found after the catastrophe in the southern area of Mindanao.
Five other individuals died as a result of Tropical Storm Nalgae elsewhere in the nation, Mr. Alejandro said.
Earlier on Saturday, the civil defense agency reported 72 dead, 14 missings, and 33 wounded.
Following a “confirmation” of the data by local authorities, Mr. Alejandro assured reporters that the number of fatalities had decreased.
After landfall just before daybreak on Saturday, Nalgae was tearing across the main Philippine island of Luzon with gusts of 95 kilometers per hour (59 miles per hour).