Manila: Three people were killed while five others were reported missing after tropical depression Sinlaku dumped heavy rains and caused massive flooding in Central Visayas and the Caraga region in Mindanao, officials said.

Sinlaku, referred to in the Philippines as Queenie is the 17th weather major weather disturbance to affect the country and has been causing misery to residents of Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental in the Visayas as well as Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands in Mindanao.

“As of November 28, a total of 7,528 people had been affected by Sinlaku and 31 evacuation centres had been opened to serve these families,” said Alexander Pama, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Television footage aired since Thursday showed massive flooding in Cebu with waist-deep waters. One video clip aired by GMA News showed a boy escaping the rising floodwaters near his house by climbing a coconut tree.

In Bohol, a ship docked at the Port of Jagna was battered by huge waves causing the chief engineer of the ship MV Edward Lawrence to fall into the sea and eventually drown.

A 66-year-old fisherman in Bohol, identified as Rosoto Gavas, drowned after waves pummelled his motorised wooden outrigger.

Authorities are still trying to identify a third victim.

According to the Bohol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Coordinating Council, four other fishermen from Jagna are still missing.

In Surigao, the MindaNews reported that four fishermen earlier reported missing were found alive. A fifth individual who was with them when they went to sea remained unaccounted for.

Reports said that Bohol residents were caught unprepared with regards to the strength of the weather disturbance. The Philippines Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) had placed Bohol, Cebu, Surigao and Misamis Oriental under storm signal No 1 since late Wednesday and forecasted the weather disturbance to have 65 kilometre per hour winds, but Bohol residents said the weather bureau did not mention that it would bring moderate to heavy rains of 7 to 15 millimetres per hour.

Sinlaku was initially categorised as a tropical depression, but on Friday afternoon, Pagasa upgraded the category to a “tropical storm” and was moving to the West at a speed of 24km/h .

Sinalaku also caused disruptions in sailing schedules, causing some 10,000 passengers to be stranded in various ports in Visayas and Mindanao.

As of Friday afternoon, it crossed Northern Palawan and was moving towards the West Philippines Sea. It will be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Saturday morning, Pagasa said.

More than 20 major weather disturbances pass through the Philippines every year.