MANILA, Philippines — Rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers Monday as residents started to dig out their homes from under carpets of mud after flooding left 240 people dead in the Philippine capital and surrounding towns.
Overwhelmed officials called for international help, warning they may not have enough resources to withstand another storm that forecasters said was brewing east of the island nation and could hit as early as Friday.
Authorities expected the death toll from Tropical Storm Ketsana, which scythed across the northern Philippines on Saturday, to rise as rescuers penetrate villages blocked off by floating cars and other debris. The storm dumped more than a month’s worth of rain in just 12 hours, causing the worst flooding in the country in more than 40 years. Thirty-two people are missing.
Troops, police and volunteers already have rescued more than 7,900 people, but unconfirmed reports of more deaths abound.
