Philippine authorities on Tuesday accounted for several more deaths in connection with tropical storm Aere, raising the death toll to 22. 

"We now have 22 deaths. We hope that there will no more additional. We hope that this will be the final count," said Josefina Timoteo, operations chief of the Office of Civil Defense.

Of the fatalities, 16 are from the worst-hit Bicol region, four in the second worst-hit eastern Visayas, and one apiece from the National Capital Region and central Luzon, said Timoteo.

The number of affected population rose to 40,286 families or 209,621 individuals who are now being served by various agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

A total of 117.8 million pesos (2.74 million U.S. dollars) worth of agricultural products have been damaged in the calamity, statistics showed. The figure is expected to rise in the coming days as damage assessments in the affected areas are still ongoing.

 

An aerial view of flooding brought by tropical storm Aere in Camarines Sur province, central Philippines May 10, 2011. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

(VietNamNet/Xinhuanet)