Manila, Dec 23 (IANS): At least 74 people were killed and over 50,000 displaced after tropical storm Tembin pounded southern Philippines, flooding large swaths of the region and causing landslides, disaster management officials on said Saturday.

In the two provinces of Lanao, at least 22 bodies were recovered while over 40 are still missing as landslides buried houses, reports Xinhua news agency.

The casualties are expected to rise.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tembin made landfall at around 1.25 a.m., on Friday in Mindanao region, packing winds of up to 125 km per hour.

The storm barrelled to the west and its 400-km wide rain band drenched most of the country's second largest island.

Floodwaters have displaced over 50,000 people in at least three provinces.

At least 21 flights have also been cancelled at the Manila International Airport, mostly domestic trips to the affected regions.

Port authorities said over 6,000 passengers were stranded in various ports across the archipelago.

At least 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippines every year. Tembin is the 22nd to hit the island nation this year.

Tembin struck a few days after powerful storm Kai-Tak battered most of central Philippines last week killing at least 41.