Homeowners in the northern Philippines used spades and rakes to clear out debris left by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) on Friday while rescuers trawled through thick mud looking for the missing as the death toll rose to 76.

A tropical cyclone known to Filipinos by the storm name Kristine triggered disastrous flooding throughout the northern region of the country, with more than a dozen killed and several missing.

The storm was blowing over Aguinaldo town in the mountain province of Ifugao after dawn with sustained winds up to 95 kph and gusts up to 160 kph.