Philippines storm death toll rises to 41

Millions of people across the main island of Luzon are suffering after a week of heavy rain, officials said.Food and medical supplies were being sent by land to hard-hit areas, especially Bicol on the southeastern tip of Luzon aswidespread floods ebbed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.Bicol officials have asked the national government for help in speeding up search and rescue work, and aid delivery, officials said.Aircraft are on standby, ready to take off as soon as the weather becomes safe for flying, officials said.Nock-ten, named after a Laotian bird, blew out into the South China Sea on Thursday after causing floods and landslides, heading towards Chinas Hainan island.The rescuers had found six more dead in Bicol and in the mountainous north over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 41.Twenty-four people remained missing, mostly fishermen and crews of small vessels toppled by huge waves at sea.Meanwhile, the state weather service said it was closely monitoring another storm, Muifa, churning east of Bicol with peak winds of 75 kilometres (45 miles) an hour.