Manila, Dec 28 (UNI) The death toll from heavy rain and floods triggered by shear line in the Philippines climbed to 25 on Wednesday as the Southeast Asian country braces for more rainfall due to a low-pressure area moving towards the archipelagic country.

At least 26 others are still missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in its latest report.

The agency has tallied 18 deaths in the southern Philippines, five in the Bicol region on the main Luzon island, and two in the central Philippines.

The agency said 12 people are still missing in the Bicol region, 11 in the central Philippines, and three in the southern Philippines. Nine others were reported injured.

"The effect of the shear line has weakened," the national weather bureau said, referring to the cause of the flooding that hit many areas in the country over the weekend. A shear line is where cold and warm air meets, triggering heavy downpours and landslides.

However, the bureau said that a low-pressure area, spotted about 600 kilometers east to the Mindanao island in the southern Philippines Tuesday night, can develop into a tropical depression.

"The low-pressure area will bring moderate to heavy, at times heavy, rains over the central Philippines and northern Mindanao. Flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely," the bureau warned.

Over the weekend, the flooding affected over 390,000 people in nine regions across the country and damaged houses, crops, roads, and bridges.

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries globally, mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Pacific typhoon belt. On average, the country experiences 20 typhoons yearly, some of which are intense and destructive.
UNI/XINHUA PRT