Philippines’ north hit by flooding, 66,000 forced from homes

The Philippines’ north has been hit by some of its worst flooding in decades, with torrents of muddy runoff forcing 66,000 from their homes, officials said on Friday.

Luzon island, the nation’s largest, has been hit by a string of storms that have battered its northern tip while monsoon rains were intensified by the passage of Typhoon Kammuri this week, AFP reports. Large swaths of lush green land were inundated after rivers burst their banks.

Landslides have cut off roads to some isolated towns and some bridges are covered by the flooding. The flood waters have forced about 66,000 people to flee their homes, some of whom had to be rescued by emergency crews in boats, local disaster authorities said.