Two fishermen lost in the sea during severe Tropical Storm Trami were rescued by a passing cargo ship.

Footage shows the trawlers in their small vessel floating in the waters of Iloilo province, the Philippines amid choppy waves on October 23.

The pair were part of five missing locals being searched by authorities after being reported by their families when they failed to return home.

Crewman Gambet Pena, who assisted the fishermen, said: 'They decided to abandon their boat and come onboard with us because they could not find their way to the port. They told us they were floating for 12 hours before we saw them.'

The fishermen were fed and given a health check before being taken to the nearest port.

Trami, known locally as Kristine, intensified into a severe tropical storm as it churned over the Philippine Sea on Wednesday.

Philippine weather agency PAGASA said it made landfall over Isabela province in the country's northeast at 12:30 am on Thursday, October 24.

Authorities said at least 46 people have died and thousands have fled to evacuation shelters as storm warnings were raised across the northern and central parts of the country.