At least 200 people are feared dead and hundreds more are missing in southern Philippines after Tropical Storm Tembin triggered mudslides and flash floods on the country’s second largest island, Mindanao.
Rescue efforts are under way after the storm lashed Mindanao on Friday, destroying dozens of homes.
According to Al Jazeera, most of the deaths caused by Tembin, known locally as Vinta, were reported in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, as well as on the Zamboanga peninsula.
At least 62 people were killed in the hardest-hit province, Lanao del Norte, where floodwaters swept away an entire village on Friday, according to media reports.
The flash floods that hit the remote farming village of Dalama in the Tubod region washed away more than 100 houses, killing at least 18 people, the news website Rappler said.
At least 27 people were still reported missing there on Saturday night.
A state of emergency has been declared in Lanao del Norte, as well as Lanao del Sur, the Philippine Daily Inquirer said.
Rescue workers said they fear the number of casualties will rise as power cuts and loss of communication lines have blocked rescue and relief efforts.
The Philippines is battered by around 20 major storms each year on average.
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