国际英语新闻:Philippine typhoon death toll rises to 714

MANILA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The official death toll from typhoon Bopha has climbed to 714, a Philippine government agency said Tuesday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council ( NDRRMC) said in the latest report that 890 people are still missing. Of the dead persons, 457 have been identifies.

Earlier, a military ground commander said "there is a little chance (to recover more survivors)," adding that they have widened the coverage of the ongoing search, rescue and retrieval operations, especially in Compostela Valley province where the missing are believed to have been covered by mud.

The economic cost totalled 7.1 billion pesos (173 million U.S. dollars). The Philippine Department of Agriculture reported 26,160 hectares of crops in 18 provinces in Mindanao were affected with estimated losses of 3,149 metric tons of palay and 1,523 tons of corn.

Up to now, 20 bridges and 9 roads are still not passable, six areas are experiencing interruption in water supply. More than 114, 583 houses were damaged.

The government has started constructing 63 bunkhouses as temporary shelter for the homeless in Mindanao, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Monday.

The bunkhouses, each accommodating 10 families, will be built in the hardest-hit municipalities of Banganga, Boston and Cateel in Davao Oriental, and New Bataan in Compostela Valley.