Latest news Storm "Trami": death toll rises in the Philippines

The severe tropical storm "Trami" has left a trail of destruction in the Philippines. The main island of Luzon, which is also home to the capital Manila, was particularly affected. The death toll has risen to 66, according to the police. Most of them died in the province of Batangas, southwest of Manila, and in the Bicol region, where mudslides from the Mayon volcano buried numerous houses and vehicles. Mayon is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. 20 people are still missing. The water was meters high in places.

According to the authorities, some parts of the country received as much rain in 24 hours as they normally receive in two months. According to the mayor, around a third of Naga City with more than 200,000 inhabitants was completely under water.

Most of the victims drowned after massive rainfall, were buried by landslides or hit by falling trees. In total, more than 2.65 million people were affected by the storm. Almost 320,000 had to flee their homes, according to civil protection. Schools remained closed for the third day in a row.

Some of those affected cannot be reached

Although the masses of water slowly receded in some areas, local authorities said that some areas were still inaccessible. Emergency teams tried to clear roads of mud and debris to make their way to those affected.

"Help is on the way. It will come by land, by air and even by sea," promised President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He had ordered the full mobilization of available military personnel and all resources that could be used for relief operations.

Trami, which is called "Kristine" in the Philippines, is expected to leave the Philippines in the evening (local time), according to the weather bureau. However, it could come back again: The office warned of the possibility that "Trami" could make an anti-clockwise loop on Sunday and Monday and then move eastwards across the Philippines again.

Although "Trami" is not classified as a full-blown typhoon, the devastation is still enormous. Typhoon "Krathon" ravaged the island state just a few weeks ago. At the beginning of September, "Yagi" swept across the islands, killing around 20 people. Tens of thousands had to leave their homes.

The Philippines are hit by strong storms and an average of around 20 typhoons every year. The worst storm to date, "Haiyan", claimed more than 6,300 lives in November 2013.

SDA