MANILA, Philippines – Floods and landslides triggered by a typhoon in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 24 people dead, washed away cars and prompted authorities to use boats to rescue residents trapped, some on rooftops.
The government closed schools and offices – except for those urgently needed to respond to disasters – for a second day across the main island of Luzon to protect millions of people after Tropical Storm Trami hit the northeastern province of Isabela at midnight.
The typhoon moved from the northwest coast of the Philippine province of Ilocos Sur towards the South China Sea on Thursday afternoon with sustained winds of up to 95 kph (59 mph) and gustiness of up to 115 kph (71 mph). It was blowing southwest and could strengthen into a typhoon over the South China Sea, according to state forecasters.
At least 24 people have died, mostly due to drowning in the Bicol region and the nearby province of Quezon but the number is expected to rise as cities and towns are cut off by floods and roads blocked by landslides and fallen trees can send reports, police. and provincial officials said.
Most of the typhoon’s deaths were reported in the six-county Bicol region, southeast of Manila, where at least 21 people died, including 8 residents in the town of Naga, which was hit by flash floods as Trami approached on Tuesday, dumping more than two months. ‘ the amount of rain in just 24 hours if it is strong, the police chief in the region Brig. Said Gen. Andre Dizon and other officials.
Although thousands of residents, who were trapped in the water, were rescued by government troops, many others needed to be rescued on Thursday in the Bicol region, including some on the roof. About 1,500 policemen have been deployed for disaster prevention, Dizon said.
“We will not be able to rescue them all at once because there are so many of them and we need more boats with engines,” Dizon told the Associated Press by phone. “We are looking for ways to bring food and water to those who were trapped but could not be evacuated quickly.”
Flash floods submerged cars in some parts of Naga city while lava from Mayon, one of the country’s 24 active volcanoes, in the province near Albay, engulfed many cars, Dizon said.
Stormy weather continues in the region, hampering relief efforts, officials said.
The government’s disaster management agency said more than 2 million people were affected by the storm, including 75,400 residents who left their homes and sought refuge in safer places.
More than 1,000 houses were destroyed, mainly in the Bicol region, while about 300 roads and bridges were impassable due to floods, landslides or fallen trees, the government’s disaster management unit said.
The typhoon has caused the suspension of boat traffic in more than 120 islands, stranding nearly 7,000 passengers and crew, the Philippine coast guard said.
About 20 typhoons and typhoons hit the Philippines each year. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the world’s most powerful typhoons on record, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and scattered entire villages.
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