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The International Red Cross and Crescent Societies assert, the Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. The Philippine Red Cross confirms that 31, 835 Filipinos were killed by these natural disasters within twenty (20) years time.
Worst Volcanic Eruption
The worst volcanic eruption that's recorded so far transpired in June 1991 . The long-time sleeping Mount Pinatubo in Zambales made a historical twist in the lives of the residents when it unleashed some 15 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the earth's atmosphere that resulted in a bit cooling of the earth's temperature. Its ash has been observed as far as Europe in the month of July As a result of the eruption, thousands of people were killed and several villages were buried due to lahar flow. Certainly, it was a day-to forget for the residents of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales provinces.
Worst Typhoons and Flashfloods
On November 5, 1991 , a flashflood hit Ormoc City in Leyte province that killed some 3,000 people and wrecked the homes of 50,000 others as typhoon Thelma was passing by. Eight ( years after, on August 3, 1999 heavy rains caused a landslide that killed fifty-eight (5 people and buried more than a hundred houses at Cherry Hills Subdivision in Antipolo City. Following on November 09, 2001, 350 residents were buried alive in Mahinog, Camiguin when typhoon “Nanang” caused a flashflood.
Worst Earthquake
On July 16, 1990 , an earthquake recording 7.7 on the Richter scale doomed 1,700 people injured 3,000 others and displaced 148,000 in Luzon. Damaged cities included Baguio, Dagupan and Cabanatuan.
Worst Fires
Fire-caused disasters have made the authorities to be stricter in implementing laws relative to safety precautions in building constructions. On March 18, 1996 , a fire at the Ozone disco along Timog Avenue in Quezon City burned 150 , out of the 350 people who were inside the bar, to death while 90 others were physically injured. Another happened on August 18, 2001 when a fire devastated Manor Hotel in Quezon City, killing 75 people and injuring 52 others .
El Niño Phenomenon
During the much-talked about El Niño phenomenon in 1998, food scarcity in Mindanao has affected 985,000 people , mostly indigenous people from upland areas. The drought has given a negative impact on country's water resources, coastal resources, forest and people's health. For the record, 105,095 families were affected and had PHP 8.3 billion agricultural damages . Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao were hit the most, experiencing the driest season ever in 35 years.
Worst Maritime Disaster
The most recent happened last February 27, 2004 when Super Ferry 14 get burned and capsized near Corregidor Island. There were 899 people on board including the crew but after the incident only 781 survived . |
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