Storms Hagibis and Mitag have blown out of the the Philippines, the weather bureau said Thursday, as the death toll climbed to 29 and rescuers continued to battle rough seas in search of the missing.
The coast guard said 12 Chinese fishermen went missing after two boats capsized Wednesday in rough seas near Pag Asa island off the country's western coast.
Two Filipino airforce pilots are also missing after their plane went down in the South China Sea while searching for a 27-person crew Filipino fishing boat, it said.
"Search and rescue operations are ongoing," a coast guard official told AFP. "The Chinese fishing boats apparently sank because of the bad weather."
Mitag had dissipated over the Philippine Sea while Hagibis had further weakened while moving northeast of Catanduanes island in the eastern Bicol region, the office of civil defense said.
A total of 29 people have been killed by floods, landslides and other storm related incidents so far, while five remained injured, the office said.
