Tembin smashes villages

THOUSANDS of villagers in the southern Philippines spent their Christmas morning in emergency shelters yesterday as the region dealt with the aftermath of one of the deadliest storms to hit the country this year.

Tropical Storm Tembin unleashed landslides and flash floods that left more than 120 people dead and 160 missing, mostly in the hard-hit provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur and on the Zamboanga Peninsula.

It strengthened into a typhoon before blowing out of the country on Sunday and into the South China Sea.

“We’re really sad that we have this news especially because our countrymen were looking to celebrate Christmas,” Marina Marasigan of the government’s disaster response agency said.

Intense rainfall in the mountains most likely caused landslides that blocked rainwater, Marasigan said. When the naturally formed dams broke from the pressure, torrents of rainwater smashed into the villages below.

Mayor Bong Edding of Sibuco town blamed logging operations in the mountains for a flash food that swept away houses with more than 30 residents. Five bodies have been recovered so far in the village and a search and rescue operation was continuing.

Many dead and missing were also reported in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur provinces, where floodwaters from a mountain washed away several riverside houses.

An inter-island ferry sank off northeastern Quezon province on Thursday after being lashed by fierce winds and waves, leaving at least five people dead. More than 250 passengers and crewmen were rescued.