At least 24 dead in floods and landslides as tropical storm batters Philippines

Manila: Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 24 people dead, swept...

Manila: 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.

An aerial view shows inundated construction vehicles (foreground C) and flooded houses (background) caused by heavy rains brought about by Tropical Storm Trami in Bato town, Camarines Sur province on october 24, 2024. (Photo by Zalrian Sayat / AFP)