By Anadolu staff
The death toll from Typhoon Trami, also locally known as Tropical Storm Kristine, has climbed to 81 as thousands of people have been affected across the country, local media said.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, so far 81 people have lost their lives, with 66 injured and 34 missing in various regions of the country, the Manila Times reported.
The deaths include 47 in the province of Batangas and 28 in the Bicol region.
A new tropical storm known as Leon or Pagasa is also reportedly expected to reach the country this weekend.
Local authorities said some 24,988 persons from the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Eastern Visayas, the Zamboanga Peninsula, and Caraga were evacuated to safe places.
Tropical Storm Trami has severely hit the Southeast Asian archipelago nation with heavy downpours and winds since Wednesday.
On Friday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Philippines armed forces to mobilize its resources to assist in relief operations
He also ordered the deployment of presidential helicopters to aid the typhoon victims while the Philippines National Police, Fire Brigades, and the Philippine Coast Guard were placed on high alert.
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid