Manila  - Seventeen people were dead or missing after two tropical depressions caused landslides and floods in the northern and central Philippines, the Office of Civil Defence said Sunday.

Seven people drowned in floods and swollen rivers, while eight victims were buried in landslides after days of heavy rains.

Two people were also missing and feared dead after being swept away by strong river currents, the office said.

Nearly 400,000 people were affected by the tropical depressions, which worsened monsoon rains that had been affecting the Philippines since the start of the month.

The weather bureau said the latest tropical depression was already moving away from the Philippines, but was expected to continue to trigger heavy rains.  dpa