Manila: A severe storm that has caused flooding and landslides across the Philippines has killed 150 people, disaster officials announced on Thursday as rain was predicted in some of the worst-hit areas.

Severe Tropical Storm Nalge hit large parts of the archipelago nation last week and over the weekend, forcing more than 355,400 people out of their homes.

In the Bangsamoro region, on the southern island of Mindanao, where floods and landslides destroyed villages, 63 of the 150 deaths reported by the National Disaster Agency occurred.

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According to the agency, 36 people are still missing across the country and at least 128 people have been injured. According to officials, there is no chance of more survivors being found.

The roughly 20 typhoons that hit the Philippines annually rarely make landfall in Mindanao, but when they do, they are often more deadly than in Luzon and the center of the country.

The Bangsamoro disaster agencies were preparing for the possibility of more devastation in the undeveloped and mountainous region and more rain was predicted on Thursday.

According to regional civil defense chief Naguib Sinarimbo, "the soil is still wet in areas where flash floods and landslides have occurred, so further erosion could begin immediately."

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"The debris and boulders have blocked rivers and waterways that were suddenly in flood paths, making it easier for them to overflow."
The devastating landslide in Bangsamoro has been attributed by President Ferdinand Marcos to deforestation and climate change.

He urged the local government to plant trees on the barren mountains. That's one thing we must do, Marcos said during a briefing this week.

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“Even after listening continuously, we go ahead and cut down trees. Landslides keep happening, it happens.
To raise funds for relief efforts, Marcos has declared a state of disaster for the most severely affected areas for a period of six months.

Scientists have issued a warning that as the planet continues to warm due to climate change, deadly and destructive storms are intensifying.