At least 33 people were killed and dozens were missing as tropical storm Lingling hit the Philippines' central and southern regions early today, triggering waist-deep floods.
Hundreds of families fled their homes on the southern island of Camiguin off the Mindanao mainland to escape the floods, civil defence regional director Mr Casiano Matela told reporters.
"We are afraid the death toll will shoot up once we hear from other affected towns," Camiguin provincial Governor Mr Pedro Romualdo said.
A spokeswoman at the Office of Civil Defence said 30 people were killed and 57 missing when the storm lashed Camiguin, an island popular among tourists for its white beaches. She said most of the victims drowned when flash floods swamped the island early today.
There was no word of any tourist among the dead or missing.
Three others drowned in the central Philippines - two children in Toledo City on Cebu island and a fisherman in Cadiz town on Negros island, disaster officials said.
The storm, with winds gusting up to 90 kph (55 mph), struck Camiguin at about 1 a.m. (local time), knocking down power and telephone lines. It was moving west-northwest across the country at 15 kph (9 mph), the weather bureau said.
An average of 20 typhoons lash the Philippines every year, and Lingling was the 14th to hit the country since January.