The death toll from Severe Tropical Storm Bualoi has climbed to 11 in the Philippines as the cyclone approaches Vietnam, authorities reported on Saturday.

Bualoi struck small islands in the central Philippines, causing extensive damage by toppling trees and power lines, tearing roofs off homes and triggering floods that forced 400,000 residents to evacuate. According to provincial disaster official Noel Lungay, the tiny island of Biliran was among the hardest hit, with eight fatalities and two individuals reported missing.

“There was widespread flooding and some roads remained submerged early today”, Lungay stated while also noting that evacuees were beginning to return home as weather conditions improved.

The office of civil defense in Manila confirmed three additional deaths on the nearby islands of Masbate and Ticao, including two people who were killed by falling trees and debris due to strong winds. Fourteen people remain missing across the central Philippines and more than 200,000 individuals are still housed in evacuation centers along the storm’s path.

Bualoi follows closely on the heels of Super Typhoon Ragasa, which claimed 14lives in the northern Philippines. As of Saturday, Bualoi was moving across the South China Sea at typhoon strength, with winds reaching 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour and is expected to reach the coast of central Vietnam by Sunday afternoon.

The Philippines experiences an average of 20 storms and typhoons annually, often impacting disaster prone areas where millions live in poverty. Scientists have raised concerns that climate change is leading to more powerful storms.

These weather events coincide with public outrage over a scandal involving fraudulent flood control projects, which are believed to have coast taxpayers billions.

Thousands protested on Sunday with peaceful demonstrations later escalating into street clashes , resulting in police vehicles being set ablaze and damage to a precinct headquarters.