Disaster council could not ascertain increased number of missing

MANILA, Philippines—The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said it could not ascertain the steep increase in number of missing persons in Mindanao, NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos told Radyo Inquirer 990AM in an interview Friday.

Civil defense official Ana Caneda earlier said the latest toll stood at 1,079 missing, up from 51.

But Ramos said it was hard to come up with an estimate as those presumed missing could just be out of the province when the tragedy struck.