Stranded locals were rescued with a backhoe as Tropical Storm Megi hit the Philippines on April 11.

The residents were cut off by the surging flash floods from heavy rain when the storm smashed into the town of Anoring in Sara, Iloilo province.

Vicente Millares, who worked as an engineer in a nearby construction site, said they thought of using the heavy equipment to help trapped residents during the severe weather.

He said: 'We heard about the stranded residents so we thought of using it to help. Our backhoe operator was very brave and kind to have agreed helping.'

Tropical Storm Megi, locally known as Agaton, made landfall in Guiuan municipality, Eastern Samar at 7:30 am on April 10 with maximum sustained winds of up to 75 kilometres per hour.

State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said it has weakened into a tropical depression packing maximum sustained winds of up to 45 kilometres per hour.

At least 24 people have been killed - 14 of whom died in landslides in Leyte province - with six injured and one missing as of Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

It added the storm has caused some 900,000 PHP worth of damage to agriculture and 250,000 PHP to infrastructure.