MANILA: The death toll from over a week of floods in the Philippines rose to 51 as rain continued to pour, causing dams to overflow and forcing more people to flee their homes, officials said on Monday.

The number of deaths, previously at 45, rose as more bodies of missing people turned up, with one man drowning early Monday, said civil defence chief Benito Ramos.

Six people remain missing, including children who went swimming despite the bad weather that began last week as Typhoon Saola approached the country, he added.

Although the Philippines escaped a direct hit, it worsened monsoon rains which continued even after Saola moved north, away from the Philippines.

“They have been evacuating more people since this morning. The waters are still rising because it just keeps raining,” Ramos said.—AFP