Tropical Storm Trami has caused widespread flooding and landslides, leaving at least 26 people dead in the Philippines, officials said on Thursday.
Trami, locally known as severe tropical storm Kristine, dumped heavy to torrential rain on the main island of Luzon triggering widespread flooding and landslides.
With maximum sustained winds of 95 kph (59 mph), the storm was moving westward across the mountainous northern region of Cordillera towards the South China Sea, the state weather agency said in its 11 a.m. (0300 GMT) weather bulletin.
It warned of heavy to intense rainfall, flooding, landslides and storm surges for some northern provinces.
Most of the deaths from the storm over the past few days were due to drowning and landslides in the central Bicol region, including Naga city where 14 were reported dead on Thursday, officials said.
Trami made landfall in the northeastern town of Divilacan in Isabela province. The town's disaster chief, Ezikiel Chavez, said no fatalities had been reported.
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.
The government’s disaster-mitigation agency said more than 2 million people were affected by the storm, including 75,400 villagers who were displaced from their homes and are sheltering on safer ground.
