MOSCOW, January 1 (Sputnik) — Tropical storm Jangmi left at least 54 people dead and 13 missing, AFP reports, citing local officials.
"We did not expect a deluge. We thought the hill where the landslide hit was tough as rocks," said Stephany Uy-Tan, the mayor of the city, as quoted by the BBC.
Philippines authorities say that more lives could have been saved if they had issued more weather warnings.
"Probably we did not put (enough warnings) out in the media," Alexander Pama, chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), told DZMM radio, as quoted by AFP.
"Maybe this will drive home the point to our countrymen that things are different now. Maybe now, when people are asked to evacuate, they will not resist," he added, as quoted by AFP.
On average, the Philippines is hit by approximately 20 tropical storms annually. Last month, tropical storm Hagupit left 18 people dead.
