Tropical Cyclone Tembin Ravages Philippines, Death Toll Rises to 133

At least 133 people were killed after tropical storm Tembin hits the Philippines, flooding large swaths of the region and causing landslides, the country’s disaster management officials said on Saturday.

Rescuers retrieved 36 bodies from the river in Mindanao on Saturday.

In Salvador and Sapad of Lanao del Norte, at least 22 bodies were recovered while over 40 are still missing as landslides have buried houses, reports Xinhua news agency. Lanao del Norte is one of the provinces hardest hit by Tembin, which is being called Vinta in the Philippines.

The death toll for the Zamboanga peninsula also rose to 28, and police said 81 people were missing after mud and rocks swept down coastal communities in Sibuco and other fishing towns.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tembin made landfall at around 1.25 a.m., on Friday in Mindanao region, packing winds of up to 125 km per hour.

The storm barrelled to the west and its 400-km wide rain band drenched most of the country's second largest island. Floodwaters have displaced over 50,000 people in at least three provinces.

At least 21 flights have also been cancelled at the Manila International Airport, mostly domestic trips to the affected regions.

Port authorities said over 6,000 passengers were stranded in various ports across the archipelago.

At least 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippines every year. But Mindanao, home to 20 million people, is rarely hit by these cyclones. Tembin is the 22nd to hit the island nation this year.

Tembin struck a few days after powerful storm Kai-Tak battered most of central Philippines last week killing at least 41. The typhoon is expected to hit the tip of the western island of Palawan on Saturday, said the state weather service.

(With inputs from IANS)