Philippines storm toll rises to 35

Two days after a tropical storm "Jangmi" hit central and southern parts of the Phillipines, the death toll has risen to 35, the government disaster relief agency said Wednesday.

The storm, known locally as Seniang, first made landfall Monday morning in Surigao del Sur province.

The storm also left eight people missing while forcing over 5,000 families to live in evacuation centres, Xinhua Wednesday quoted a report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as saying.

On Tuesday, at least six people were reported dead and one as missing.

Five people - three adults and two children - were buried under mud and rocks when the landslide occurred in Tanauan town in the central province of Leyte, Xinhua reported citing director of the Office of Civil Defence as saying Tuesday.

The National Disaster Reduction and Rescue Management Centre (NDRRMC) Tuesday said a 65-year-old man, Mik Cipriano, drowned in Compostela Valley Monday, as heavy rain lashed the province.

The landslide, one of the four which took place in Visayas region, buried a house as well.

The tropical storm maintained its strength, as it moves closer to the Palawan Island in the western part of the country, packing peak winds of 65 km per hour (kmph) and gusts of up to 80 kmph.

Due to inclement weather, 17,656 passengers have been stranded at ports, 14 domestic flights have been cancelled, 43 roads and 22 bridges are not passable in Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Some provinces in central Philippines are experiencing power or water interruption, the agency added.