Flooding turns towns, cities in Philippines into ‘ocean’

MANILA: Days of heavy rains brought by Typhoon Vamco and the monsoon-inundated Cagayan Valley in the northern Philippines have turned parts of the region into an “ocean,” officials said on Saturday.

At least 37 people have died, with 22 injured and 15 others missing after Typhoon Vamco (local name Ulysses) cut a swathe through the main island of Luzon on Friday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

The Cagayan province has been the worst hit.