Manila/UNI: At least 17 people have died and seven others were injured as a result of flooding in the Philippines, the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Friday.

Two more people went missing, the report said. There are more than 523,000 affected persons. A total of 71.400 people are currently in evacuation centers.

Besides, the NDRRMC revealed that about 530 houses were damaged (157 of them were completely destroyed), and 40 cities and municipalities experienced power outages.

However, electricity has already been restored in 27 cities, while water supply and communication lines were restored in 4 cities and municipalities, the report said.

According to the disaster management agency, floods have damaged 158 road sections, 42 bridges and 24 seaports in the Philippines. As a result, classes were postponed in educational institutions in 488 cities and municipalities suspended and work was suspended in 110.

The Philippines and surrounding regions are hit by dozens of floods, tornadoes and typhoons annually during the monsoon season typically between June and December.