Residents affected by the devastating flash floods wait for the arrival of Philippine President Benigno Aquino at an evacuation centre in Iligan City, in southern island of Mindanao on December 20, 2011. — Photo by AFP

ILIGAN, Philippines: The official death toll from last week's massive flash flooding in two southern Philippine cities has topped 1,000 and is set to climb further as authorities continue finding more bodies.

Head of the Civil Defence Office Benito Ramos released the latest figures Wednesday, showing a total of 1,002 confirmed dead, including 650 in Cagayan de Oro and an additional 283 in nearby Iligan city. The rest came from several other southern and central provinces.

A tropical storm swept through the area Friday night and unleashed flash floods in the middle of the night that caught most of the victims in their sleep.

President Benigno Aquino III has declared a state of national calamity.

Authorities and grieving relatives have begun burying the dead.