Death toll from Philippine landslides, floods rises to 58

Manila: The death toll from landslides and floods that hit the central and southern Philippines has risen to at least 58, official tallies showed on Wednesday.  

The floods and landslides wreak havoc in the nation after a summer tropical depression unleashed days of pounding rain. 

As per reports, rescuers dug up more bodies with their bare hands in villages crushed by rain-induced avalanches of mud and earth.

Army, police and other rescue teams were struggling with mud and unstable heaps of earth and debris to find the missing villagers.

More rescuers and heavy equipment, including backhoes, arrived in the hard-hit city of Bay bay. Howeever, continuing rain and muddy ground have hampered the efforts. 

Each year, at least 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines, mostly during the rainy season that begins around June. 

Some storms have hit even during the scorching summer months in recent years.

Moreover, the disaster-prone country also lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where many of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.