Photos: Thousands evacuated as tropical storm batters Philippines

Officials accidental astatine slightest 14 radical person been killed successful the Philippines arsenic Tropical Storm Trami flooded villages, inundated rivers and forced tens of thousands of radical to fly their homes arsenic it approached the eastbound coast.

Philippine rescuers waded done chest-deep floodwaters Wednesday to scope residents trapped by the tropical storm.

Torrential rainfall has turned streets into rivers, submerged full villages and buried immoderate vehicles successful volcanic sediment acceptable escaped by the downpour.

At slightest 12 radical person died successful the metropolis of Naga, constabulary main Erwin Rebellon said implicit the phone, adding that details of the circumstances were inactive being gathered.

The determination civilian defence bureau reported 2 much fatalities successful different parts of the Bicol region. A 22-year-old died successful Palanas successful Masbate state aft being deed by a histrion branch, and a 71-year-old antheral was killed successful Bagamonoc successful Catanduanes state aft falling from the extortion of his house. Five fishermen were reported missing.

At slightest 32,000 radical person fled their homes successful the bluish Philippines, constabulary said, arsenic the tempest edges person to the Southeast Asian country’s main land of Luzon.

In the Bicol region, astir 400km (249 miles) southeast of the capital, Manila, “unexpectedly high” flooding was complicating rescue efforts, said police.

“We sent constabulary rescue teams, but they struggled to participate immoderate areas due to the fact that the flooding was precocious and the existent was truthful strong,” determination constabulary spokesperson Luisa Calubaquib told the AFP quality agency.

At an exigency gathering of authorities agencies Wednesday morning, President Ferdinand Marcos said that “the worst is yet to come”.

“I’m feeling a small helpless present due to the fact that … each we tin bash is beryllium tight, wait, anticipation and commune that determination is not excessively overmuch damage, that determination are nary casualties.”

Families driven from their homes successful Bicol were being sheltered astatine astir 2,500 evacuation centres scattered crossed the region.

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, 1 of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones successful the world, near much than 7,300 radical dormant oregon missing, flattened full villages, swept ships inland and displaced much than 5 cardinal successful the cardinal Philippines.