MANILA: The number of deaths from a powerful storm that struck the Philippines last week rose to 122 as of Thursday, amid continuing search operations in affected areas.

The number of fatalities is expected to rise further, with 23 people still reported missing nearly a week after the onslaught of tropical depression Usman, which triggered multiple landslides and widespread flooding in the regions of Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

Usman made landfall near Borongan, the capital of Eastern Samar province, on Dec. 29 and was immediately downgraded to a low-pressure system before exiting the Philippines on Sunday, leaving behind a trail of destruction. 

The storm affected 308,451 people in Bicol and Eastern Visayas, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Of those people, 30,960 are still in 210 evacuation centers, while 55,274 are staying with relatives and friends.

Meanwhile, 105 of the deaths were reported in Bicol, with more than half coming from Camarines Sur province, which was the hardest hit by landslides and floods.

As search and rescue operations continued, the Philippine Coast Guard reported 11 more bodies found — five from the landslide site in the town of Sagnay, while six are believed to have drowned from the flooding in the towns of Nabua and Buhi, both in Camarines Sur.

Office of Civil Defense regional director Claudio Yucut said search and rescue operations are ongoing for the 23 missing people, mostly in Sagnay, where the landslide affected an area of 68 hectares.

The entire Camarines Sur province has been placed under a state of calamity. Several areas remain isolated as clearing operations on road networks affected by flooding and landslides could take days, authorities said. The Philippine Air Force has been tapped to assist in bringing aid to these areas.

Glenda Relova, assistant secretary at the Department of Social Welfare and Development, said Air Force C-130 cargo planes are being used to bring goods to areas that cannot be reached by land or boat, and helicopters may be used to reach the most remote areas.

The extent of the disaster would have been avoided if there were preparations or preventive evacuation, she added.

The Department of Agriculture placed the estimated cost of agricultural damage and losses from the storm at 817.17 million pesos ($15.5 million). It estimated the cost of rice-production losses alone at 742.48 million pesos.

In the wake of the storm, Sen. Grace Poe said there is an urgent need to pass a bill that would create a Department of Disaster Resilience and Emergency Management, as people’s safety and needs cannot wait.

Poe cited the need for enhanced coordination between the national government and local government units to effectively respond to communities’ needs before and after disasters.

She said during the storm, she received text messages from people trapped in their homes and seeking help, indicating a lack of coordination between the national government and local government units.

President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to visit heavily damaged areas in Bicol on Friday. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte wants to see personally the gravity of the destruction in the region. 

The government will continue to check on stricken areas and provide whatever they need, Panelo added. 

While saddened by the destruction to people’s lives and livelihoods, Duterte is not pointing fingers, Panelo said, adding that the president believes there are lessons that can be learned.