56 dead from landslides, floods in Philippines

An average of 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people and leaving millions in near-perpetual poverty. (AFP)

• People in landslide, flood-prone areas have been asked to evacuate
• Weather is expected to in most parts of the country by Monday

MANILA: At least 56 people have been reported killed by landslides and floods caused by tropical depression Usman, which has swept through the central Philippines and displaced thousands of families.
Fifty of the fatalities were reported in the Bicol region and six in the Eastern Visayas region. Officials expect the death toll to rise. Power outages were reported in several areas.
In Bicol, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said 15 of the 50 reported deaths were in Albay province, 16 in Camarines Sur, seven in Masbate, six in Sorsogon and six in Camarines Norte.
Claudio Yucot, a director at the OCD, said most of the deaths were due to landslides and drowning.
Police earlier said a landslide buried several houses in the town of Tiwi in Albay on Saturday. Initial reports said two people were killed and seven missing in that incident.
Two landslides were reported in Camarines Sur, where bodies have been recovered. Several others are feared still buried under thick mud.
Reports said in the town of Baao in Camarines Sur, a 30-year-old mother and her three children were sleeping in their house when it was hit by a landslide. Landslides also occurred in Sorsogon and Camarines Norte.
Yucot said residents in landslide- and flood-prone areas in Bicol have been advised to evacuate.
In Eastern Visayas, three people were reported killed in a landslide and three due to drowning.
Henry Torres, a director at the OCD, said the town of Lope De Vega in Northern Samar province was worst hit by flooding, with some residents forced to climb onto the roofs of their houses. 
Floodwaters were reportedly 20-feet deep in some areas. In Eastern Samar, some 1,169 families have been evacuated as a precaution.
Clearing operations are underway on roads rendered impassable, and as of Sunday morning, the Philippine Coast Guard said thousands of passengers remain stranded in seaports nationwide.
Usman made landfall on Saturday in the city of Borongan, Eastern Samar, but soon after weakened into a low-pressure area. The weather is expected to improve in most parts of the country by Monday.