At least 43 persons were reported dead with 37 in Eastern Visayas due to ''Agaton'' which has weakened into a low pressure area, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Wednesday.

NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal told dzBB that seven are missing and eight injured.

Timbal said ''it is a race against time'' to find survivors. '' The soil is still soft and it is still raining that is why rescue teams have to be careful,'' he added.

Because of rain which began last week, landslides even went past the danger zone indicated in the hazard maps, said Timbal.

''We did not forsee the extent of the damage,'' he added.

''Evcuations were done in the hazard zone area but instead of going to evacuation centers, people went to nearby houses. But landslides hit these areas which were out of the hazard zone.''

Landslides occured in Baybay and in Abuyog, military and police said. Abuyog was reported to have been struck by landslide Tuesday night.

Timbal said displaced families inside 348 evacuation centers were 13, 788 while those outside evacuation centers reached 43, 162 families. DMS