Tropical Storm Trami has moved away from the northwestern Philippines, resulting in at least 82 fatalities due to landslides and widespread flooding. Authorities are mobilizing additional rescue boats to assist thousands of individuals trapped in affected areas.
The storm, classified as the eleventh and one of the deadliest of the year in the Philippines, may not have completed its course. Meteorologists have raised the possibility of a rare reversal in its path, influenced by high-pressure winds in the South China Sea.
On Friday, a provincial police chief reported that 49 of the deceased were primarily victims of landslides triggered by Trami in Batangas province, south of Manila. The overall death toll from the storm has reached at least 82, with 11 individuals still unaccounted for.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by the conditions, as police and rescue teams sift through three meters of mud and debris. Among the missing are a villager’s wife and child, buried in a landslide during heavy rainfall.
The storm was last observed on Friday, positioned 410 kilometers west of Ilocos Sur, with sustained winds of 95 km/h. It is currently moving northwest toward Vietnam, which is expected to experience its effects starting Sunday, should it maintain its trajectory.
However, the Philippine weather agency warns that the storm could potentially loop back towards the Philippines due to atmospheric conditions. President Ferdinand Marcos expressed concern over this possibility during an emergency meeting, noting that rain and damage could continue even if the storm does not make landfall.
Trami's path is being closely monitored by weather experts across Asia, including Japan, which is assisting the Philippines in tracking the storm. The fatalities include 26 individuals from Bicol, an area heavily impacted by flooding and landslides.
Despite not intensifying into a typhoon, Trami has delivered exceptionally heavy rainfall, with some regions recording one to two months' worth of rain in just 24 hours, resulting in flash floods.
Typically, the Philippines endures around 20 storms and typhoons annually. The catastrophic Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 serves as a reminder of the potential devastation, causing over 7,300 deaths or disappearances.