Manila. The death toll from Tropical Storm ‘Trami’ that hit the Philippines this week has increased to 46. Officials informed on Friday that at least 20 people are still missing. ‘Trami’-related deaths have been reported in nine regions across the country, the office of Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said in a report. The Bicol region, southeast of Manila (which bore the brunt of the storm), had the highest number of deaths, with 28. There have been 15 deaths in the Calabarzon region. ‘Trami’-related deaths have also been reported in other areas of the Philippines. ‘Trami’, the 11th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, passed through the main Luzon Island, causing devastating floods and landslides in the Bicol and Calabarzon regions.
The death toll may rise as police and other agencies continue to assess the impact of Trami. The agency said that as of Friday, 293 roads and 67 bridges across the country were still impassable. Electricity has still not been restored in some areas. Trami was spotted 255 kilometers southwest of Ilocos Sur province in the northern Philippines on Friday morning, the state weather bureau said. It was moving west-northwest, with sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour and gusts of 151 kilometers per hour. The state weather bureau forecast Trami to exit the Philippines on Friday afternoon or evening. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons each year.