A tropical storm swept through northern and central Philippines over the weekend, leaving seven people dead and forcing more than 22,000 residents to flee from flood- and landslide-prone areas, officials said Monday.

Tropical Storm Fengshen — locally known as Ramil — moved away from the main island of Luzon into the South China Sea late Sunday, according to the state weather bureau. The storm packed sustained winds of up to 65 kilometres per hour (40 mph) and gusts reaching 80 kph (50 mph).

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that seven people were killed, while nearly 14,000 evacuees remain displaced as of Monday.

In Roxas City of Capiz province, one person drowned on Saturday as high tide worsened flooding in several communities.

Five others, including two children, died early Sunday in Pitogo town of Quezon province when a large palm tree fell on their hut while they were sleeping. Police said the victims had earlier burned the tree in an attempt to make it fall safely.

Forecaster Glaiza Escullar said the storm was expected to continue moving westward across the South China Sea toward Vietnam.

Fengshen is the 18th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, striking as central and southern provinces are still reeling from recent earthquakes that killed more than 80 people, displaced thousands, and damaged over 134,000 houses in Cebu province alone, according to disaster officials.

The Philippines, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, experiences about 20 typhoons and storms each year. The country also frequently suffers from earthquakes and volcanic activity, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.

Source: AP