MANILA: Tropical Storm Fengshen killed a family of five on the Philippines’ main island of Luzon before heading out to sea on Sunday.
The victims, including children aged two and 11, were crushed to death in their sleep when a giant palm tree fell on their house near Pitogo, approximately 153 kilometres southeast of Manila.
“The entire family was asleep in a house made of light materials,“ Quezon province Governor Angelina Tan told Manila radio station DZMM, noting that a sixth family member survived.
Pitogo police official Sonny Ombajino confirmed the deaths occurred as the storm raked across southern Luzon overnight.
At least 47,000 people sought refuge in government-designated temporary shelters across southeast Luzon starting Saturday, according to local disaster officials.
The weather service had warned of possible coastal flooding and landslides as rain continued to batter the island.
Fengshen was expected to track northwest toward Vietnam with gusts reaching 90 kilometres per hour, according to meteorological forecasts.
The Philippines experiences approximately 20 storms and typhoons annually, frequently affecting areas where millions live in poverty.
This disaster follows Typhoon Bualoi, which killed 37 people and displaced 400,000 in the northern Philippines.
Scientists warn that tropical storms are growing more powerful due to human-driven climate change.
Fengshen struck as the country recovered from a series of major earthquakes that killed at least 87 people over the past three weeks. – AFP
