關注社會:菲律賓140人死於颱風
Manila Assesses Toll Of Typhoon Ketsana
The Philippines and its capital city, Manila, were counting the economic cost Monday of the worst flooding in more than 40 years as rescuers and volunteers plucked dead bodies from swollen rivers and tried to reach survivors still marooned by the devastating weekend storm.
At least 140 people were killed by floodwaters or smothered in landslides by Typhoon Ketsana, which dumped more than a month's worth of rain on Manila and the surrounding area in just 12 hours Saturday. An additional 32 people are missing, and officials are trying to verify scores more reported deaths as the floodwaters gradually recede from the most badly affected areas. Disease also is a threat; the inundation of putrid, polluted water is raising concerns about typhoid and bacterial infections among the 450,000 people affected or displaced by the deluge.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the Philippines is seeking international assistance with the relief effort. 'The potential for a more serious situation is there, and we cannot wait for that to happen,' he said in a nationally televised briefing as criticism about the government's handling of the situation -- especially allegations that it had failed to provide adequate drainage -- mounted. At its peak, the flood covered 80% of Manila.
Concerns are growing, too, that the paralysis that the flood brought to Manila and its 12 million people could weigh on the Philippines' fragile economic recovery in the second half of the year. Officials estimated the economic cost -- including damaged roads, bridges and crops -- at around 1.4 billion pesos, or $30 million.
菲律賓及其首都馬尼拉週一在計算逾40年來最嚴重的洪災造成的經濟損失，救援人員和志願者在暴漲的河流中打撈屍體，並試圖找到因週末的破壞性風暴而受困的生還者。
上週六短短12個小時內，颱風凱薩娜(Typhoon Ketsana)給馬尼拉及其周邊地區帶來了相當於一個月的降雨量，由此導致的洪水和泥石流導致至少140人死亡或被埋。另有32人失蹤。隨着洪水逐漸從受災最嚴重的地區退去，官員們在努力確認另外數十名死亡人數報告。疾病也是個威脅；散發惡臭的污水氾濫，令人們擔心受洪水影響或無家可歸的45萬人蔓延傷寒和細菌感染。
菲律賓國防部長特奧多羅(Gilbert Teodoro)說，菲律賓正在尋求國際社會援助救災。他在面向全國電視轉播的情況說明會上說，可能會出現更嚴重的情況，我們不能坐等這種情況發生。目前人們對菲律賓政府應對措施的批評日漸加劇，尤其是指責其未能提供充分的排水系統。洪水最嚴重的時候涉及馬尼拉80%的地區。
人們也越來越擔心洪水令馬尼拉陷入癱瘓狀態，其1,200萬人口的生活也陷入停頓，這可能在今年下半年對菲律賓脆弱的經濟復甦造成壓力。相關官員估計，包括損毀的道路、橋樑和農作物在內的經濟損失約爲14億菲律賓比索（合3,000萬美元）。
