Many drowned

Tropical storm “Trami” rages in the Philippines: 66 dead

Everyone is trying to get to safety.

(Bild: APA/AFP/ZALRIAN SAYAT)

Tropical storm "Trami" has left a trail of destruction in the Philippines. The main island of Luzon is particularly affected.

Most of the victims drowned after heavy rainfall, were buried by landslides or hit by falling trees. According to the police, the death toll has now risen to 66. 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. 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.

The violent storm also caused this bridge to collapse.

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Many houses were flooded due to the heavy rainfall.

(Bild: APA/AFP/John Dimain)

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 areas inaccessible
Although the water masses slowly receded in some areas, some areas were still inaccessible, according to local authorities. 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" could return on Sunday and Monday
"Trami", which is called "Kristine" in the Philippines, is expected to leave the Philippines in the evening (local time). However, he could come back again: The office warned of the possibility that "Trami" could loop counterclockwise on Sunday and Monday and then move eastward 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.