A shopping mall ceiling turned into a waterfall as heavy rain leaked through the building in the Philippines.

Footage shows rainwater splashing onto a large oil drum in Cebu province on December 1. The workers removed the already-filled container and replaced it with a new one as the area was swamped.

Mall-goers watched as the employees tried to remedy the leak while a storm raged outside.

Onlooker Rosemarie Liu said: 'We had to move to higher floors for safety as there was water everywhere at the ground levels.

'Some people were stranded inside the mall, unable to leave due to the flooding outside, making the streets impassable for pedestrians and vehicles.

'It was a challenging situation for everyone, but mall staff and security worked hard to ensure the safety of those inside.'

The Philippines and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia are at the start of their annual monsoon rainy season which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms. The rudimentary infrastructure often struggles with the deluge, leading to widespread flash floods.