Floods, landslides kill 40 in Philippines

MANILA - At least 40 people have been killed and over one million displaced in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in central and southern Philippines, officials said Wednesday.

The heavy rains brought by the northeast monsoon damaged about $20 million worth of crops and property, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

Seven people remained missing, while eight were wounded, Xinhua reported.

The heavy rains, which began Dec 31, have brought misery to more than 1.2 million people, including 365,050 who are now in evacuation centres nationwide, the NDRRMC said.