Philippines typhoon: Death toll reaches 1,000 and is still rising

Typhoon Durian, which is the fourth in a row in the past four months, hit Philippines on Thursday at 140 miles an hour wrecking the archipelago. The death toll feared to have reached 1,000, as per Red Cross's estimate, and is continuously rising amidst relief efforts. President Gloria Arroyo has declared a state of national calamity. Rescue operations are delayed, owing to destructive landslides that buried more people alive and left around 66,000 people homeless.

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Relief funds have started pouring in both from the government and the global community with Canada pledging $870,000, Japan sending $173,000 and the Netherlands Red Cross $53,000. Massive volcanic mudslides, flooding and blocked roads have thwarted the search and rescue efforts killing more in the due course. Power loss in most of the areas has made communication almost impossible hampering the operation and adding fuel to the catastrophe aftermath.

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Evacuation centers and relief shelters have been set up, however, there is little hope that more survivors are out there. Rescue teams are conducting mass cremation amidst fear of spread of disease.

Can't we combat nature's fury?

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo says, "We are no strangers to this kind of tragedy, and we have always been able to recover and become stronger." She's now ordered Department of Environment to boost efforts to track the movement of tropical cyclone and forewarn of the possible danger. It was not done earlier, is an irony, which we'll not forget, with not enough survivors to remember even. When it's clear that the possibility of a tropical cyclone in the western Pacific or Indian oceans are maximum during this time of the year, the country should be prepared for it in advance, especially when we've already tasted the wrath of Tsunami.

With the fear of approaching Typhoon Durian, Vietnam has already ordered rapid evacuation and tens of thousands have already on the move to safe places. Despite technological advancements, we're still not able to ward-off nature's fury. However, it's not because we're not equipped enough to combat it, perhaps, we're still not deft enough to use it in the right way and at the right time. Greenpeace Southeast Asia clearly states that catastrophic events like this will increase in the future due to global warming and we should be prepared to fight it out. Along with massive preparation, we'll have to work collectively towards restricting climate change or soon nature will devour us wearing the mask apparently gifted by us.

Via: CNN