At least one person died and more than 17,000 were displaced by floods and landslides caused by the first tropical storm to hit the Philippines this year, officials said Monday according to the dpa. Tropical storm Megi, locally called Agaton, slammed into the country's eastern coast on Sunday, bringing torrential rains that caused flash floods and landslides in the affected areas. An 83-year-old man drowned in floods in Davao De Oro province, 970 kilometres south of Manila, the national disaster agency said. "There are some reports of additional casualties, but we are still waiting for the official head count and reports coming from our regional counterparts," said Mark Timbal, spokesman for the national disaster agency. The agency said 17,892 people were forced to flee their homes in 17 provinces affected by Megi, while more than 1,100 passengers were stranded in sea ports in the affected areas after the coast guard suspended sea travel.
