Rescue efforts continue as death toll rises from Typhoon Tembin

World
Europe

Thousands of people are working around the clock to help those affected by Typhoon Tembin, said Mina Marasigan, the spokesperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) of the Philippines, on Sunday.

So far, the death toll in the southern Philippines has risen to 200, after the tropical storm hit Mindanao Island on Saturday, triggering mudslides and flooding. Over 70,000 people have been affected or displaced. The police say that 144 are still missing.

"The storm swept across a vast portion of the country's southern region," reported CGTN correspondent Barnaby Lo.

Rubble resulting from flash floods in a village in Salvador, Lanao del Norte in southern Philippines, December 24, 2017. /Reuters Photo‍

Tembin strengthened into a typhoon on Saturday, picking up wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, lingering in the south on Sunday.

Marasigan said that villagers had been advised to evacuate ahead of the storm.

The alert also warned of "mudslides and flooding," causing tens of thousands of casualties in the south, especially Mindanao Island, which is home to 20 million people.

About 40,000 had fled to evacuation camps on Christmas Eve, said Marasigan, adding that teams are currently distributing food and other essentials for almost 3,500 families at evacuation centers.

Tembin is moving west at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour, over certain Philippine islands and the South China Sea, toward southern Vietnam.