At least 24 people dead as tropical storm batters Philippines

Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the Philippines left at least 24 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers.

The government shut down schools and offices — except those urgently needed for disaster response — for the second day on the entire main island of Luzon to protect millions of people after Tropical Storm Trami slammed into the country’s northeastern province of Isabela after midnight.

The storm was blowing over Aguinaldo town in the mountain province of Ifugao after dawn with sustained winds up to 59 mph and gusts up to 99 mph. It was forecast to enter the South China Sea later on Thursday, according to state forecasters.

Most of the dead drowned in the hard-hit Bicol region, south east of Manila, and nearby Quezon province, but the toll was expected to rise as towns and villages isolated by flooding and roads blocked by landslides and toppled trees manage to send out reports, police and provincial officials said.

In the six-province Bicol region at least 20 people died, including seven in the city of Naga city, which was inundated by flash floods as Trami was approaching on Tuesday, dumping more than two months’ worth of rainfall in just 24 hours at high tide, regional police chief Brigadier General Andre Dizon and other officials said.

While thousands of villagers, who were trapped in floodwaters, have been rescued by government forces, many more needed to be saved on Thursday in the Bicol region, including some on roofs.

About 1,500 police officers have been deployed for disaster mitigation work.

“We can’t rescue them all at once because there are so many and we need additional motorboats,” Mr Dizon told The Associated Press.

“We’re looking for ways to deliver food and water to those who were trapped but could not be evacuated right away.”

Flash floods swept away and submerged cars in some parts of Naga city while mudflows from Mayon, one of the country’s 24 active volcanoes, in nearby Albay province, engulfed several vehicles, Mr Dizon said.

Stormy weather remained in the region, hampering relief efforts, officials said.

The government’s disaster mitigation agency said more than two million people were affected by the storm, including 75,400 villagers who were displaced from their homes and are sheltering on safer ground.