Locals battle to save drowning buffalo as Tropical Storm Bailu hits Philippines

This is the harrowing moment locals battled to save stranded buffalo being washed away by floods caused by Storm Bailu in the Philippines this morning (August 24).

Heavy rain battered the north of the country as the typhoon, called Storm Ineng locally, moved northwards towards Taiwan.

Footage from Laoag City in Ilocos Norte province shows locals desperately trying to save cattle, reaching into the water and grabbing the animals by the horns.

Two were successfully rescued but dozens more were dragged away by the powerful current from the river which burst its banks and swamped nearby fields and farmland.

Officials declared a disaster area as rain and floods hit rice fields, with muddy water overflowing from irrigation canals and inundating roads.

Tropical Storm Bailu formed to the east of the Philippines on Wednesday (21 August) and rapidly moved North while gaining strength. As the typhoon moved through the warm ocean waters it produced torrential rains and strong winds.

Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau (CWB) released a typhoon notice as it prepared for the tropical storm to make landfall at the weekend.