Tropical storm Trami leaves more than 20 dead – DW – October 24, 2024

A severe tropical storm in the Philippines triggered widespread flooding and landslides, killing at least 24 people on Thursday, according to local authorities.

More than 150,000 people were forced to flee their homes after Tropical Storm Trami – known locally as Tropical Cyclone Kristine – hit the country's main island of Luzon, in the northeast of the archipelago.

Drowning and landslides are the cause of most deaths

Trami made landfall near the town of Divilacan in Isabela Province. Schools and businesses in the weather system's area were closed.

According to the National Weather Service, the eye of the storm moved over the mountainous interior of the northern Philippines at 8 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour.

Most of the deaths from the storm in recent days were due to flooding and landslides in the central Bicol region southeast of Manila, including the city of Naga.

“We have 20 dead [throughout the Bicol region]”Regional police chief Brigadier General Andre Dizon told reporters on Thursday, adding that the final number has not yet been determined.

Villages flooded, rescue operations underway

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard and military are involved in rescue operations in the affected areas.

Around 1,500 police officers are also deployed for disaster preparedness, said Dizon.

Thousands of villagers trapped in floodwaters were rescued by government troops. However, many more remained to be rescued in the Bicol region on Thursday, including some on rooftops.

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

“We are looking for ways to deliver food and water to those who were trapped but could not be evacuated immediately.”

The weather service warned of heavy to heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides and storm surges for areas in the north.

On average, the Philippines experiences about 20 tropical storms each year, often resulting in heavy rains, strong winds and landslides.

kb/wmr (Reuters, AP, AFP)