Manila, Jan. 3 (UNI) Over 33,000 people displaced in the floods that killed 51 people in the Philippines last week still remain in temporary shelters, the government said Tuesday.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said these evacuees of the 8,930 families were from five regions severely affected by the floods that hit the archipelago country on Christmas eve.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in an updated report on Tuesday that the death toll has climbed to 51, and authorities are searching for 19 more missing.

The flooding forced the government to move nearly 600,000 people in 10 regions across the Southeast Asian country to safety.
According to local reports, an eight-year-old girl died after a flash flood swept the motorcycle she was riding with her uncle and aunt in Lanao del Norte province in the southern Philippines.

Lanao del Norte information officer Zoila Maxine Esic said the girl died of drowning, adding nearly 6,000 residents in the province were affected by the flooding.

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.
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