Tropical Storm Trami left 24 dead in severe flooding and landslides in the Philippines

At least 24 people have died after Tropical Storm Trami slammed into the Philippines.

The storm caused widespread flooding and landslides on the main island of Luzon.

It forced schools and government offices to close for a second day – except for those urgently needed for disaster response.

Known locally as Christine, the storm brought sustained winds of up to 59 mph (95 km/h) and gusts of up to 99 mph (160 km/h).

Most of the dead drowned in the hard-hit Bicol region and nearby Quezon province.

The death toll is expected to rise, police and provincial officials said.

Thousands of villagers trapped by floods were rescued by government forces in the central Bicol region as floodwaters reached the roofs of bungalows.

But many more continue to need rescuing, with about 1,500 police officers deployed for disaster mitigation work, regional police chief Brigadier General Andre Dizon said.

“We can’t rescue them all at once because there are so many and we need extra speedboats,” Brigadier General Dizon said.

“We are looking for ways to get food and water to those who were trapped but could not be evacuated immediately.”

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The flash floods also washed away and submerged cars, he added.

Stormy weather hampered relief efforts, officials said.

More than two million people were affected by the storm, the government’s disaster mitigation agency said, including 75,400 villagers who were driven from their homes and taking shelter in safer places.

The The Philippines it is usually battered by about 20 tropical storms a year, often bringing heavy rains, strong winds and deadly landslides.