MANILA, Philippines (AP) – A tropical cyclone caused widespread flooding and landslides in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday, killing at least 24 people, washing away cars and forcing authorities to scramble motorboats to rescue trapped villagers. were dispatched to the emergency room, and some of them were on the roof.
After Tropical Storm Trami hit the province of Isabela in northeastern Luzon just after midnight, the government closed schools and offices, except those urgently needed for disaster response, to protect millions of people across mainland Luzon. It was closed from the second day.
The storm hit the town of Aguinaldo in mountainous Ifugao province after dawn with winds of up to 95 km/h (59 mph) and gusts of up to 160 km/h (99 mph). State forecasters said the winds were blowing westward and were forecast to enter the South China Sea late Thursday.
At least 24 people have died in the hard-hit Bicol region and neighboring Quezon province, most of them due to drowning, but in flooded towns and villages isolated and roads blocked by mudslides and fallen trees, many people have managed to call the police. Police said the death toll was expected to rise further. said state officials.
Most of the deaths from the storm were reported in the six-province Bicol region southeast of Manila, where at least 20 people died, including seven residents of Naga City. Flash flooding occurred as Trami was approaching on Tuesday, leaving it submerged for more than two months. That’s a significant amount of rainfall in just 24 hours at high tide, said regional police chief Warrant Officer Lt. This was announced by General Andre Dizon and other officials.
Thousands of villagers stranded in floods were rescued by government forces, while more people needed to be rescued in the Bicol region on Thursday, including some on rooftops. . Dizon said about 1,500 police officers have been deployed for disaster mitigation efforts.
“There are too many people to rescue them all at once, so we need additional motorboats,” Dizon told The Associated Press by phone. “We are looking for ways to get food and water to people who are trapped but cannot immediately evacuate.”
Dizon said flash floods washed away some parts of Naga City, submerging cars, and a debris flow from Mayon, one of the country’s 24 active volcanoes in nearby Albay province, swallowed several cars.
Officials said severe weather in the region was hampering relief efforts.
The government’s disaster prevention agency said more than 2 million people were affected by the storm, including 75,400 villagers who had been forced from their homes and evacuated to safe locations.
Approximately 20 storms and typhoons hit the Philippines every year. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the world’s strongest recorded tropical cyclones, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and flattened entire villages.
