The Philippine authorities today raised to fifty the number of deaths caused by typhoon Phanfone, most of them on the island of Panay, in the central region of the country, hit by the storm during Christmas.

In its latest bulletin, the National Council for Disaster Management indicated that five people are missing after the storm, which also caused 143 injuries and forced more than 140,000 people to take refuge in evacuation centers.

The typhoon, called Ursula by the Philippine meteorological service, caused damages valued at more than 1,084 million pesos (21 million dollars or 19 million euros), including more than 400,000 houses, 400 schools and 72 sections of roads.

The Philippines receives between 15 and 20 typhoons every year during the rainy season, which begins around the months of May and June and usually ends between November and December.