At least seven people have died and thousands have been evacuated after the torrential rains produced in the Philippines by tropical storm Trami, reports AFP. The streets have become rivers, in which entire towns have been submerged and several vehicles buried in volcanic sediments.
According to police figures, around 32,000 people have fled their homes in the north of the country. Thus, in the Bicol region, about 400 kilometers southeast of the capital, rescue efforts were complicated by “unexpectedly high” floods.
“We sent police rescue teams, but they had difficulties entering some areas because the flooding was intense and the current was very strong,” said regional police spokesperson Luisa Calubaquib, in statements to AFP.
The photos that have been published show streets submerged by muddy waters in the municipality of Bato, in the province of Camarines Sur. Only the roofs of houses and convenience stores could be seen.
«It is becoming dangerous. “We are waiting for the rescue teams,” resident Karen Tabagan told AFP. In Naga, about 40 kilometers from Bato, half of the 600 villages were completely submerged by floods.
The typhoons They are common in the region at this time of year. However, a recent study has shown that they are forming closer to coasts, intensifying more quickly and lasting longer on land due to climate change.
Every year, about 20 major storms and typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters, damaging homes and infrastructure and killing dozens of people.
#dead #thousands #evacuated #torrential #rains #Philippines
