MANILA: The death toll from a tropical storm that swept through the central Philippines before heading toward Vietnam has risen to at least 24 with six people missing, officials said yesterday.
Additional reports of casualties were received by the Office of Civil Defence overnight Friday. Half of the fatalities were drowning victims of floods that hit the central and southern Philippines, the agency reported.
Civil Defence chief Benito Ramos said three of nine people who had been missing were found alive.
More than 30,000 people stranded at seaports and airports since early in the week have resumed their journeys after Tropical Storm Son Tinh left the Philippines late Friday.
The storm gained strength as it blew westward toward Vietnam at 22kms (14 miles) per hour with sustained winds of 85kph (53mph) and maximum winds of 100kph (62mph).
Weather forecaster Fernando Cada said the storm could still become a typhoon over the South China Sea and could hit the northern coast of Vietnam by Sunday.
Rescuers are also still searching for a man believed buried in a landslide on the main southern island of Mindanao, it said, adding that more than 15,000 people displaced by the storm were still sheltering at government buildings and receiving disaster aid.
The Philippine star
