A week of relentless rains in the northern Philippines have put dozens of towns and villages under water, with more than 100 people drowned or killed by landslides, officials said today.
The rains were brought by Typhoon Parma, which first hit the Philippines last Saturday and has since hovered around the northern part of the main island of Luzon, although it has weakened into a tropical depression.
Nestor Fongwan, governor of mountainous Benguet province, said at least 100 people died in landslides. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported at least 13 deaths in other areas.
The rain has swollen rivers and reservoirs, forcing dams to release water and flooding areas downstream. Television pictures showed towns and farmland transformed into vast lakes, dotted with trees and buildings.
From 60 to 80 per cent of the coastal province of Pangasinan has been flooded and 30,000 people evacuated, said Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres at the NDCC.
Thousands spent the night on rooftops or scrambling to higher ground.
Provincial Governor Amado Espino told local radio rain and strong currents were hampering rescue efforts. "We're isolated, all our major roads are closed. Even some of our evacuation centres are now flooded. We need all the help."
In Nueva Ecija province to the east, 23 towns and cities were hit by floods, Governor Aurelio Umali said. Roads from Manila to the north were cut off.
The US military diverted troops and equipment from nearby exercises, anchoring a Navy relief ship off Pangasinan and pressing into service helicopters and small aircraft. Philippine military units and equipment were also in the area.
Relief officials estimated total damage at nearly 2 billion pesos ($43 million), including 1.6 billion pesos in lost crops.
The floods struck after a previous storm inundated areas in and around the capital Manila. That storm, called Ketsana, killed at least 337 people and forced half a million from their homes.
About 7.63 billion pesos in crops were damaged, mostly rice about to be harvested, forcing authorities to consider more imports. A further 2.7 billion pesos in infrastructure - roads, bridges and schools - was damaged, disaster officials said.
Reuters