8 killed, thousands evacuated as Tropical Storm Fengshen lashes Philippines

ANKARA

Tropical Storm Fengshen lashed the northern and central Philippines on Sunday, leaving at least eight people dead and forcing more than 22,000 people to evacuate from flood- and landslide-prone villages, local media reported.

At least three people were injured and another two were missing as authorities imposed a state of emergency in several cities, suspending flights and schools, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported.

Fengshen was tracked over Manila Bay at midday, with sustained winds of up to 65 kilometers per hour (40 mph).

The tropical storm, known locally as "Ramil," is expected to exit the Philippines on Monday morning.

The Office of Civil Defense spokesperson Junie Castillo told reporters five people were crushed to death by a fallen tree in the municipality of Pitogo in Quezon province, southeast of Manila, and three others were killed in the central Philippines' Western Visayas region.

Castillo said that search and rescue operations are ongoing for two people who were reported missing in a landslide that hit the municipality of Quezon in southern Bukidnon province.

He said Fengshen has affected 15,000 families, or roughly 30,000 people, across the country. Twenty-two thousand people have been evacuated, he added.

The storm also caused flooding and landslides in the central and southern Philippines.

The Philippines is prone to tropical storms, with an average of 20 typhoons making landfall each year.

Writing by Aamir Latif