Death toll from Philippine typhoons hits 101

MANILA: The death toll from the two strong typhoons that cut across the north of the Philippines' main island and left behind widespread flooding has risen to 101, the national disaster agency said on Sunday.

Typhoon Nesat hit the Philippines on Sept. 27 and was followed on Oct. 1 by Typhoon Nalgae. Both crossed agricultural provinces of northern Luzon, with crop damage estimated at about 12 billion pesos ($275 million).

Nesat was the more destructive of the two, bringing widespread flooding to provinces north of Manila that is still to recede fully. The typhoon killed 82 people, the disaster agency said in a Sunday morning update.

The death toll from Nalgae was 19, and 27 people were still missing after the storms. The main cause of death was drowning.

The Philippines may have to buy more rice imports than it had planned for next year due to the crop damage, government officials have said.

Copyright Reuters, 2011