The death toll from landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rains in the Philippines has risen to 61 with 18 people missing and 12 injured, according to officials.
Fifty deaths were reported in the eastern region of Bicol, located south of the main island of Luzon. Eleven others occurred in the nearby region of Eastern Visayas.
The rains were the result of a tropical depression, known locally as Usman, which made landfall in Borongan, Eastern Samar on Saturday.
It left the country on Sunday afternoon after being downgraded to a low pressure area.
Debris from a house that was destroyed is pictured after a tropical depression descended upon Daet, Camarines Norte, the Philippines, December 30, 2018. /VCG Photo
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), more than 79,000 people from 150 areas in the Philippines have been affected by the landslides and widespread flooding. Many of the affected areas were deprived of electricity. Several houses were buried in landslides while some roads and bridges were made impassable.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing and officials said the death toll could increase.
The national weather bureau has warned that more rain is expected in the coming days.
The Philippines is prone to natural disasters. An average of 20 cyclones leading to landslides and floods strike the country each year. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan resulted in the death of more than 6,300 people and the displacement of four million.
(Top image: People wade through a flooded street in the town of Baao hit by a tropical depression in Camarines Sur province, December 30, 2018. /VCG Photo)