Philippine rescuers waded through chest-deep floodwaters Wednesday to reach residents trapped by Tropical Storm Trami, which has forced thousands to evacuate as it barrels towards the country’s east coast.
Torrential rains driven by the storm have turned streets into rivers, submerged entire villages and buried some vehicles up to their door handles in volcanic sediment knocked loose by the downpour.
According to police, At least 32,000 people had fled their homes in the northern Philippines, as the storm edged closer to the Southeast Asian country’s main island of Luzon.
In the Bicol region, about 400 kilometres (249 miles) southeast of the capital Manila, “unexpectedly high” flooding was complicating rescue efforts, said police.
“We sent police rescue teams but they struggled to enter some areas because the flooding was high and the current was so strong,” regional police spokeswoman Luisa Calubaquib told Journalists.
