The number of people killed by storms in the Philippines exceeded 1,000

Philippine officials yesterday confirmed the number of deaths after Typhoon Bopha swept through the south of the country to 1,020.

People returned home in the Compostela valley in the south
Philippines after Bopha storm landed on December 4. (Photo: AP)

The National Disaster Management Committee said that as of December 16, officials found 1,020 corpses. Since nearly 850 people are still missing, it is likely that the death toll will increase in the coming time, said Benito Ramos, head of the National Disaster Management Committee.

"The death toll will increase. Yesterday we found a lot of corpses beneath fallen trees and rubble," Ramos told AFP.

Typhoon Bopha landed in southern Philippines early on December 4, with winds of 140km / h, even up to 170km / h, speeding the roof, knocking down trees and causing widespread rain in the lowland. Strong storms also cause landslides and floods across mountainous and midland areas.

Mindanao Island is the place most heavily damaged by storms. The storm caused several hundred thousand people to evacuate and caused great material damage. The search for the missing and rescuing people who lost their homes continues. More than 27,000 people are living in government-established camps.