'Back to zero': Manila flood victims come to terms with their losses, begin clean up

Manila street vendor Zenaida Cuerda said Thursday she is "back to zero" after floodwaters washed away the food she sells for a living and swept through her house.

She is one of thousands in the Philippine capital coming to terms with their losses from the relentless rain, after Typhoon Gaemi intensified the seasonal monsoon.

"All my capital is gone. I have nothing now," Cuerda told AFP, as she wiped away tears outside the concrete house she shares with her sister.

"I don't have a husband anymore. I can't rely on my children because they have their own families," she said.

At least 20 people were killed in Manila and surrounding provinces as the heavy rain triggered floods and landslides.

More than 12 inches of rain fell in the capital in the 24 hours to 8am (0000 GMT) on Thursday.

Floodwaters quickly reached chest-height in parts of the city, trapping vehicles and forcing people to use small boats to get around.

When the waters receded, they left behind muddy streets strewn with rubbish and other debris.

As AFP journalists drove around the city on Thursday, mattresses, wooden furniture and bags of rubbish were piled outside houses and shops as people got on with the task of cleaning up.

At the pharmacy where he works, Pedro Parado was still coming to terms with the suddenness of the flooding.