A severe tropical storm in the Philippines unleashed widespread flooding and landslides that killed at least 24 people, according to local authorities Thursday. 

More than 150,000 people have been forced to flee their homes after Tropical Cyclone Kristine — known locally as Tropical Storm Trami — made landfall on the country's main island of Luzon in the northeast of the archipelago.

Drowning and landslides, the cause of most deaths

Kristine made landfall near the town of Divilacan in Isabela province. Schools and businesses in the path of the weather system were ordered closed. 

According to the national weather service, the eye of the storm was passing over the Ilocos region north of the capital Manila at around 2 p.m. (0600 GMT) on Thursday with maximum sustained wind speeds of 95 kilometers (59 miles) per hour. 

Most of the deaths from the storm over the past few days were due to flooding and landslides in the central Bicol region, southeast of Manila, including Naga City.

"We have 20 dead [throughout the Bicol region]," regional police chief Andre Dizon told reporters on Thursday, adding that the final figure was yet to be finalized.

Villages submerged, rescue operations underway

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard and the military were involved in rescue operations in affected areas. 

Around 1,500 police officers have also been deployed for disaster-mitigation work, Dizon said.

Thousands of villagers who were trapped in flood waters have been rescued by government forces, however, many more needed to be saved on Thursday in the Bicol region, including some on roofs.

"We can't rescue them all at once because there are so many and we need additional motorboats," Dizon told The Associated Press.

"We're looking for ways to deliver food and water to those who were trapped but could not be evacuated right away."

The weather service warned of heavy to intense rainfall, flooding and landslides and storm surges for areas in the north.

The Philippines on average experiences around 20 tropical storms annually which often result in heavy rains, strong winds and landslides.

kb/wmr (Reuters, AP, AFP)