As many as 68 people in the Philippines were killed in Storm Usman while floods and landslides triggered by the storm forced thousands of others to flee.

A house in the Philippine collapse due to Storm Usman (Photo: Reuters)

Among the casualties, 57 people were in the Bicol mountainous region, southeast of Manila capital city, while 11 others were in Samar island. The deaths were mostly due to landslides and drowning.

The death toll is likely to rise as many areas have not been checked.

Usman swept through the central Philippine islands on December 29. The storm’s winds were not too powerful, but it brought downpours that caused landslides and flooding in areas it traversed.

Although the storm already left the Philippines, heavy rains continued in many areas, hindering search and rescue activities.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people. The country’s deadliest storm on record is Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in November 2013.

(Source: VNA)