Philippine coast guards rescue residents from their flooded house at the height of Severe Tropical Storm Bualoi, at a village in Ormoc city, Leyte province. (Photo: Jakartapost)

HÀ NỘI – Tropical Storm Fengshen claimed the lives of a family of five, including two children, as it swept across Luzon Island in the Philippines on the morning of October 19.

According to local police and disaster management authorities, the tragic incident occurred early in the morning in a village near Pitogo town, about 150 kilometres southeast of Manila, when a large tree toppled onto a house, killing all family members inside.

Fengshen made landfall in the southeastern part of Luzon late on October 18 and early on October 19 before moving across Manila Bay, with wind gusts reaching up to 90 kilometres per hour. The Philippine meteorological agency said the storm is now heading towards provinces north of the capital.

Authorities reported that about 47,000 people have been evacuated since October 18 following warnings of flash floods and landslides in coastal areas.

The storm struck as the Philippines continues to recover from a series of powerful earthquakes over the past three weeks, which have killed at least 87 people.

The Philippines, which experiences an average of around 20 storms each year, frequently suffers severe damage, particularly in impoverished regions. Scientists warn that climate change is making storms increasingly intense and destructive. VNA/VNS