Tropical storm leaves Philippines with 6 dead, 2 missing

MANILA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — Tropical storm Bebinca left the Philippines with six dead and at least two missing, the Philippine government said Sunday.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said four died in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and two in Zamboanga Peninsula in the southern Philippines.
The agency added that one is missing in Zamboanga Peninsula and the other in Western Visayas region in the central Philippines.
The agency said that Bebinca, the sixth tropical cyclone to lash the Philippines since January this year, has affected over 200,000 people in nearly 300 villages. Almost 14,000 displaced villagers are in government-run temporary shelters.
Bebinca damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and houses.
Bebinca exited the Philippines on Saturday afternoon. However, it continued to bring rain after enhancing the Southwest monsoon.
An average of 20 typhoons pound the Philippines yearly, triggering severe flooding, landslides, and other extreme natural disasters and resulting in heavy casualties to human life and destruction of crops and properties. ■