Rescuers are searching for over 800 individuals who went missing in the southern Philippines due to flash floods and landslides. The devastating natural disasters resulted in the deaths of more than 650 people in areas that were not adequately prepared for such storms. Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities on Mindanao island were severely affected when Typhoon Washi hit the region while residents were asleep, causing water and mud to inundate villages and destroy mountainsides. The Philippine National Red Cross reported that 652 people lost their lives in eight provinces in southern Mindanao, with over 800 individuals still missing. Gwendolyn Pang, secretary-general of the PNRC, mentioned that their office received numerous requests for assistance in locating missing family members, and they are working with local authorities, the military, police, and other relief organizations to coordinate search efforts. Flooding destroyed entire houses with families inside in numerous coastal villages in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. Mayor Vicente Emano of Cagayan de Oro expressed that this was an unprecedented event for their city, and attributed the lack of warning to officials in the area. However, the state disaster agency claimed that sufficient warnings had been issued to officials and residents three days prior to the typhoon hitting land on Friday. Authorities were faced with the difficult task of managing the large number of bodies that were being uncovered, prompting soldiers to construct coffins. Some bodies were piled on top of each other in mortuaries that were understaffed and overwhelmed by the number of dead. Vice President Jejomar Binay witnessed bloated bodies of women and children during his visit to the hardest-hit areas in Cagayan de Oro. Binay provided food supplies and ordered the relocation of families living in risky areas. Brigadier General Roland Amarille, leading an army task force in Iligan, mentioned that soldiers were working to recover bodies and construct coffins. Amarille expressed the need for body bags and lime to handle the large number of corpses, in order to prevent the spread of disease. He stated that local mortuaries are currently overwhelmed with bodies and are urging people to bury the deceased promptly due to the excess number of bodies, some even being stored in hallways. The majority of the casualties were from a slum area on an island between two rivers in Iligan, where approximately 70% of the houses were swept into the sea. Mindanao island, located in the Philippines, is typically not affected by the average 20 typhoons that hit the country annually, making this situation particularly challenging. Pang emphasized the need to educate people about the changing climate in order to address these challenges. The amount of rain that usually falls in one month occurred in just one day. A cargo ship rescued Carmelita Pulosan and eight others after their house was swept away by floodwaters during a typhoon in the central Visayas region and the south and east of Luzon. Carmelita Pulosan described the experience as a sudden rush of water followed by a loud noise. "We ended up in the river and were carried out to sea by the strong current," Pulosan, who is from Cagayan de Oro, informed Reuters. She expressed gratitude towards God for saving her family, as the current was very powerful. Pulosan also mentioned that in their village, only one 3-storey building remained standing. Red Cross official Pang stated that both officials and residents were caught off guard by the unexpectedly large amount of water flowing down from the mountains into the river systems, as the area was not typically affected by typhoons. She mentioned that Cagayan de Oro had not seen significant flooding since 2009, with minimal damage and no casualties. Pang noted that upon returning to their villages, many people discovered their homes had been destroyed. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed readiness to assist the Philippines, a key ally of the United States. Additionally, a Chinese embassy official announced a donation of $10,000 to support relief efforts. Washi, which has been weakened to a tropical storm with winds reaching speeds of up to 80 km per hour (50 miles per hour), was located approximately 60 km (40 miles) west of Puerto Princesa in the southwest. The storm is forecasted to exit Philippine waters by late Sunday.