Tropical Storm Fengshen hits the Philippines

Photo: depositphotos

Tropical Storm Fengshen has caused massive flooding on the island of Luzon and landslides on the southern island of Mindanao. The storm has so far claimed five lives and two citizens are still missing.

A tragic incident occurred on Sunday in the town of Pitogo in Quezon province in the northern Philippines when a tree crushed one of the bamboo houses. The sole survivor of the tragic incident was a teenage boy. The town of Pitogo is located 153 kilometers southeast of Manila.

Several flights were canceled as the tropical storm battered the island. The storm later moved westward toward the South China Sea. According to AFP, around 47,000 people were forced to flee their homes, most of them taking shelter in government-designated temporary shelters.

According to the national weather agency Pagasa, five dams were releasing water on Sunday. Flooding is also affecting the central Philippines, specifically the islands of Samar and Panay. On Panay, several houses collapsed after being submerged by water.

Two people were reported missing on the island of Mindanao after their vehicle fell off a highway due to a landslide. Officials say the highway connecting Bukidnon and Davao is currently closed.

The Philippines is hit by an average of twenty storms and typhoons each year, and the intensity is steadily increasing due to climate change and warming. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the country must strengthen disaster preparedness and response in the near future.

Source: Aljazeera, Editorial Weathersunshine.com