At least 40 people have been reported dead as tropical storm Ketsana lashed the Philippines on Saturday. The government declared Manila and 25 other provinces to be in a state of calamity, as heavy rains brought by the storm caused the worst flooding seen in the capital in some 20 years.Tony Mateo, a spokesman for the nearby Rizal provincial government, said flash floods and a landslide killed 35 people in five townships in the province. He said 27 others are missing. Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez, who is the acting head of the Office of Civil Defence, said five others were killed in the capital, Manila. He said over 1,800 people were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in evacuation centres due to rising waters. It said flooding was reported in many districts with waters in some areas reaching as high as the rooftops of one-storey buildings. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, said all the efforts of the police and the military were being concentrated on rescuing people trapped on rooftops. The weather station said the storm, bearing winds of 85 kilometres per hour with gusts of 100 kph, hit the main island of Luzon near the town of Infanta. It is expected to move west before exiting the country early Sunday.