ILOILO, Philippines: At least 60 people are confirmed dead and 60 others are missing after Typhoon Fengshen struck islands in the central Philippines, a local official said Sunday.

At least 30,000 people living in Iloilo in the central Philippines had scrambled onto rooftops fleeing the rushing water after the man-made dam overflowed, said the city's acting mayor Jed Mabilog.

Rescuers have reported that many could be missing or killed, though this could not be independently confirmed, he said.

"I have received a lot of text messages appealing for helicopters, there are many people trapped on the rooftops," Iloilo congressman Serg Biron told DZBB radio. "This is the worst flooding that has hit Iloilo in history."

Fengshen, upgraded from a tropical storm on Friday, swept through the country's centre over the weekend, unleashing torrential rains, causing power outages and forcing the evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people. - AFP/ac

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