The death toll from a powerful typhoon that ravaged the northern Philippines has reached 26 as government relief workers on Friday rushed aid to affected areas.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said 10 of the victims of Typhoon Megi came from the northern province of Pangasinan, where several towns were hit by flash floods.
The other victims came from the provinces of La Union, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Kalinga, Benguet, Ifugao and Manila.
Rescuers said most of the fatalities either drowned or were hit by falling objects.
More than 200,000 houses - mostly in the northern provinces of Isabela, Cagayan, Ifugao and Kalinga - were damaged by Megi, the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines in four years.
Damage to agriculture and infrastructure was estimated at 7.61 billion pesos (176.97 million dollars), the council said.
Megi slammed into the Philippines Monday at its peak strength, packing maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 260 kph.
