Photo of the destruction left by Typhoon Odette in Dinagat Islands during a visit by President Rodrigo Duterte on December 22, 2021. Joey Dalumpines, Presidential Photo
MANILA — The feared death toll from Typhoon Odette has risen to 378, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday, a slight increase from the previous day's number.
In a Teleradyo interview, NDRRMC Spokesperson Mark Timbal said the casualty count, which rose from 367, would still change as authorities continue to validate the deaths.
He did not give a figure on the confirmed deaths, which was at 44 on Saturday.
Most of the reported deaths come from Central Visayas, particularly in Cebu and Bohol, Timbal said.
According to Timbal, 742 people sustained injuries while 60 people are still missing.
A total of 3.9 million were affected by Typhoon Odette, the strongest storm to enter the country this year, he said.
The number of evacuation centers, meanwhile, decreased to 1,198.
"It's possible na nagsisimula nang magsiuwian 'yong mga kababayan natin, na-realase na po sa evacuation center iyong iba dahil umiigi na 'yong panahon in those areas," Timbal explained.
(It's possible that the evacuees started going home, they've been released from evacuation centers because the weather started to improve in those areas.)
Timbal said 478,963 houses were damaged by Odette, which battered the Visayas and parts of Mindanao a week before Christmas.
The estimated cost of damage to infrastructure rose to P16 billion while damage to agriculture was at P3 billion, he added.