THE death toll from Tropical Depression Usman has continued to increase, reaching 85 as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, January 2, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In its situation report Wednesday, the disaster council said 40 individuals were injured while 20 remained missing.

The number of casualties, however, is still subject to validation.

Search and retrieval operations were still ongoing Wednesday, based on social media posts by the Coast Guard in Bicol region.