At least 24 people died as a result of a tropical storm that hit the Philippines

Widespread flooding and landslides triggered by a tropical storm in the Philippines have killed at least 24 people, hijacked cars and forced authorities to use speedboats to rescue trapped villagers.

The government closed schools and offices – except those urgently needed for disaster response – across the main island of Luzon to protect millions of people after Tropical Storm Trami hit the northeastern province of Isabela after midnight.

The storm passed over the town of Aguinaldo in the mountainous province of Ifugao after dawn with sustained winds of up to 90 km/h and gusts of up to 150 km/h. They are expected to reach the South China Sea later on Thursday, according to state forecasters.

Most of the victims drowned in the hard-hit Bicol region southeast of Manila and in nearby Quezon province, but the death toll is expected to rise as reports are sent out by towns and villages isolated by floods and roads blocked by landslides and fallen trees, police and provincial authorities said.

At least 20 people died in the six-province Bicol region, including seven in the city of Naga, which was inundated by flash floods as Trami approached on Tuesday, unleashing more than two months of rainfall in just 24 hours at maximum temperatures . high tide, said regional police chief Brigadier General Andre Dizon and other officials.

While thousands of villagers stranded in floodwaters were rescued by government forces, many more had to be rescued in the Bicol region on Thursday, including some from their rooftops.

About 1,500 police officers were delegated to work on mitigating the effects of the disaster.

“We can’t save them all at once because there are so many of them and we need additional speedboats,” Dizon told The Associated Press.

“We are looking for ways to provide food and water to trapped people who could not be evacuated immediately.”

Flash floods swept away and submerged cars in parts of Naga city, while mud from Mayon, one of the country’s 24 active volcanoes in nearby Albay province, engulfed several vehicles, Dizon said.

Officials say stormy weather remains in the region, hampering relief efforts.

The government’s disaster mitigation agency said the storm affected more than two million people, including 75,400 rural residents who were displaced from their homes and took refuge in safer places.