The death toll from typhoon Nesat has climbed to?43 in the Philippines, and the number may increase as some 30 others remain missing, the authorities said Thursday afternoon.

A girl uses a styrofoam box to help her younger brother cross floodwaters brought by Typhoon Nesat, locally known as Typhoon Pedring, in Dampalit town, Malabon city, north of Manila Sept 28, 2011. [China Daily]?

Benito Ramos, executive director of Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said as of 6 a.m. Friday, 44 people were injured due to Nesat, which brought strong winds and massive rains that flooded many areas in affected regions since it made its landfall in the northern Philippine province of Aurora on Tuesday.

At least 205,885 families or 986,417 individuals in 33 provinces have been affected, of which 44,139 families or 204,376 individuals were in evacuation centers, Ramos said, adding that damage to agriculture and infrastructure has neared 4 billion pesos (91.93 million U.S. dollars), with 16,295 houses either damaged or destroyed.