Storm Trami Landslides, Floods Kills 120 People In Philippines
By
OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN ROSE
Over 120 people have been killed and dozens missing after floods and landslides hit the Philippines in the wake of Tropical Storm Trami.
It is the southeast Asian archipelago’s worst and most destructive storm so far this year, according to the government’s disaster-response agency.
President Ferdinand Marcos said the unusually large volume of rainfall, including some areas that saw up to two months’ worth in just 24 hours, overwhelmed flood controls.
“The water was just too much,” Mr Marcos told reporters.
“We’re not done yet with our rescue work,” he added.
More than 4.2 million people were in the path of the storm, including nearly half a million, who mostly fled to more than 6,400 emergency shelters in several provinces.
In an emergency cabinet meeting, Mr Marcos raised concerns over reports by government forecasters that the storm, the eleventh to hit the Philippines this year, could leave next week.
Each year, about 20 storms and typhoons hit the Philippines, an archipelago which lies between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.
In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones, rendering over 7,300 people dead or missing, also destroying villages.
