MANILA: At least 24 people have been reported dead and 10 are missing in the aftermath of typhoon Phanfone which swept across the Philippines on Christmas Day.

Authorities fear that the number of casualties could increase, saying updates from some of the most affected areas had yet to come in.

Phanfone, which was the 21st storm to hit the country this year, first made landfall over Eastern Samar province at 4:45 p.m. on Christmas Eve and packed winds of up to 120 km per hour and gusts of up to 150 km per hour.

The typhoon’s entry caused more than 24,000 passengers to be stranded in seaports, but operations were back to normal as of Thursday and fewer than 100 passengers were left stranded in Western Visayas, according to the coastguard.

Strong winds and heavy rains brought on by Phanfone caused serious damage in many areas and left dozens of casualties.

Initial information from government agencies show at least 24 people died, with 21 in the Visayas region and three in Southern Luzon.

Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone identified three fatalities: Wilson Quizon Ogatio, who was hit by a steel sheet, Carlos Yu Beltran, who was swept away by storm surge, and Macario Sabaldan who suffered a heart attack.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Country hit by 21 storms in 2019.

• Officials fear death toll could rise.

Other fatalities were mostly due to drowning, being hit by debris, and electrocution, based on reports by the police and the Office of Civil Defense.

Images coming from some of the affected areas showed people wading through floodwaters, fallen trees and toppled electric pylons, damaged houses, residents cramped in evacuation centers while others rummage through the wreckage of their homes.

The latest update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said at least 10,905 families or 38,832 people affected by Phanfone remain in evacuation centers.

A total of 115 cities and municipalities were plunged into darkness at the height of the typhoon which caused massive power outages. Communication lines were also down in several storm-hit localities.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday the eye of the typhoon was located 300 km northwest of Coron, Palawan province, with maximum sustained winds of up to 120 km per hour near the center and gusts of up to 150 km per hour.

Phanfone is forecast to exit the Philippines on Saturday morning.