Typhoon Krathon death toll in Philippines climbs to 5

The death toll in Typhoon Krathon that hit the Philippines starting the weekend rose to at least five, with one person still missing, a disaster operations agency said Friday. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the deaths were recorded from two northernmost Philippine regions hit by Krathon. The deaths included a 62-year-old male who drowned in Ilocos Norte and a 25-year-old who was electrocuted in Cagayan Valley. The agency said it was still validating the causes of the deaths of the three others. The agency said search continued for the person swept away by a strong current. The agency said that Krathon affected almost 243,000 people in at least 828 villages in Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Valley, and the Cordillera Administrative region in the northern part of the main Luzon island. The agency estimated the initial cost of infrastructure and agriculture damage at over 1 billion pesos (17.77 million U.S. dollars). An average of 20 typhoons lash the Philippines yearly. Source: The Namibia News Agency