麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Tropical storm battering Philippines leaves at least 24 people dead in flooding and landslides

Share
MANILA, Philippines -

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

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 began to move away from the coast of the northwestern Philippine province of Ilocos Sur toward the South China Sea on Thursday afternoon with sustained winds of up to 95 kph (59 mph) and gusts up to 115 kph (71 mph). It was blowing southwestward and could strengthen into a typhoon over the South China Sea, according to state forecasters.

At least 24 people died, mostly due to drowning in the hard-hit Bicol region 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.

Most of the storm deaths were reported in the six-province Bicol region, southeast of Manila, where at least 21 people died, including eight residents in Naga city, which was inundated by flash floods as Trami was approaching Tuesday, dumping more than two months' worth of rainfall in just 24 hours at high tide, regional police chief Brig. Gen. 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 Thursday in the Bicol region, including some on roofs. About 1,500 police officers have been deployed for disaster-mitigation work, Dizon said.

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

More than 1,000 houses were damaged, mostly in the Bicol region, and nearly 300 roads and bridges were not passable due to flooding, landslides or toppled trees, the government's disaster-mitigation agency said.

The storm prompted the suspension of inter-island ferry services in more than 120 seaports, stranding nearly 7,000 passengers and cargo workers, the Philippine coast guard said.

About 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones in the world, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and flattened entire villages.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Trudeau's Liberals launching new ads, MPs told in caucus meeting

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced his caucus for the first time Wednesday since rebuffing calls from two dozen Liberals to resign. He seemed to satiate some MPs鈥 concerns, with a presentation on party campaign strategy that includes rolling out new ads.

The mother of a 17-year-old victim in a mass slaying in Manitoba is suing a child welfare agency for allegedly failing to protect the girl.

Alleviating allergy concerns unveiled in new action plan

The National Food Allergy Action Plan calls for major changes to assist the millions of Canadians with food allergies. The plan is designed to bring improvements to allergy diagnosis, treatment, consistent standards of care, improved access to care, and an overall upgrade in investments for education and research.

A long-time animal foster said the recent behaviour of her dog and cat is something she had never witnessed.

Vanita Lindsay has been paid $8,816.20 for a job she has never worked.

A South Frontenac Township man is facing charges, including impaired operation causing death, in connection to a boat crash that killed three people on Bobs Lake in eastern Ontario over the Victoria Day long weekend.

Local Spotlight

A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company鈥檚 strangest discoveries.

When Leah arrived at work directing traffic around a construction site, she never expected to see a van painted in all sorts of bright colours, and covered in eclectic decorations, including a stuffed moose attached to its roof.

After 14 years of repairing and selling bicycles out of the garage of her home, a Guelph, Ont. woman鈥檚 efforts have ended 鈥 for now, at least.

Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.

Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.

New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.