Death toll rises to 81 as tropical storm devastates Philippines
The death toll from Tropical Storm Trami, which battered the Philippines this week, has climbed to 81, with at least 20 people still missing amid severe flooding and landslides, officials reported on Friday.
According to local authorities, the majority of the casualties were recorded in Batangas province, south of Manila, with 47 fatalities, and in the Bicol region, southeast of the capital, with 28 deaths. The storm also claimed four lives in various areas across the central and southern parts of the country.
The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that on Friday afternoon, its personnel retrieved two young victims—a nine-year-old child and a one-month-old infant—who were among those impacted by the storm’s path.
Trami, marking the 11th typhoon to strike the Philippines this year, swept across the main island of Luzon, triggering disastrous flooding and landslides in both the Bicol and Calabarzon regions. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the storm affected over 2.6 million people across 15 regions in the Southeast Asian nation.
Efforts continue as emergency services and rescue teams work tirelessly to locate the missing and provide aid to affected communities. (ILKHA)