More than 400 people were killed and an unknown number were missing after a typhoon struck the southern Philippines, causing flash floods and landslides and driving tens of thousands from their homes. Gwendolyn Pang, secretary-general of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), said the death toll of 436 was expected to rise. Typhoon Washi, with winds gusting up to 90 kmh (56 mph), barreled into the resource-rich island of Mindanao late on December 16, bringing heavy rain that also grounded some domestic flights and left wide areas without power. Emergency workers, soldiers and police were recovering more bodies - most covered in mud - washed ashore in nearby towns. Pang said nearly 360 bodies had been found in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and about 50 in four other southern provinces. The government's official death toll stood only at 131 people and nearly 270 missing. Another 21 people drowned on the central island of Negros, the PNRC said. Hundreds … [Read more...] about Typhoon kills more than 436 in southern Philippines
Philippines
Philippines storm leaves 180 dead
The death toll from tropical storm Washi surged to 180 on Saturday with nearly 400 people missing in flash floods that ravaged the southern Philippines, officials said. Regional military spokesmen told reporters 97 bodies were recovered in Cagayan de Oro, a major port on Mindanao island, and 75 were found in Iligan, a nearby southern port, accounting for most of the deaths. They said 375 people were still missing from the two cities alone. Iligan mayor Lawrence Cruz described rampaging floodwaters from swollen rivers that swamped at least 10 villages on the city's outskirts. "It happened so fast, at a time when people were fast asleep," Cruz told GMA television. The station showed dramatic pictures of a family escaping out of the window of their home as floodwaters rose, and rescue workers in orange vests shepherding survivors to safety above chest-deep floodwaters. The Philippine army mobilised 20,000 soldiers to help in rescue and evacuation efforts on Mindanao, which bore … [Read more...] about Philippines storm leaves 180 dead
Philippines’ arrested ex-leader moved to army hospital
Former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, under arrest on charges of rigging the 2007 election, was moved by court order on Friday from a private hospital to a military facility where she will await a court decision on her case. Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrives at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City, Metro Manila December 9, 2011. Philippine security forces transferred Arroyo from a private hospital to the military medical facility in Manila this afternoon, according to local media. Arroyo, president from 2001-2010 and now a member of Congress, has been under heavy guard at the private Manila hospital since her arrest last month on charges of rigging results in elections in 2007Photo: Reuters Arroyo, president from 2001 to 2010 and now a member of Congress, has … [Read more...] about Philippines’ arrested ex-leader moved to army hospital
Tropical Storm Conson rolls across Philippines
Tropical Storm Conson weakened further on July 14 as it rolled westward over the Philippines, stranding more than 1,300 people across the archipelago. The Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council issued warnings about flash floods, landslides and big waves. But the storm's winds dropped to 93 kph with gusts up to 120 kph, down from top sustained winds of 111 kph when Conson made landfall on the northern Philippine island of Luzon, about 66 kilometers east of the capital, Manilla, late Tuesday evening. Conson is moving to the west at 8 mph as it moves away from the Philippines and into the South China Sea. Manila received just over 3 inches of rain; the heaviest rain totals are from Daet where 6.5 inches have fallen. The storm is expected to move into southern China on Friday, but the Joint Typhoon Warning Center is predicting little or no intensification before landfall there. Heavy rain and flooding will be a concern for southern China. The National Disaster … [Read more...] about Tropical Storm Conson rolls across Philippines
Typhoon Megi clears Philippines
Typhoon Megi cleared the Philippines' main island and headed toward China on October 19, and authorities said initial estimates showed around 105,000 tons of the region's unmilled rice crop had been damaged. The agriculture department's early assessment that around 10 percent of the Cagayan valley's annual crop had been damaged was well below a worst-case scenario of more than 230,000 tons. The area accounts for about 12 percent of national production. Megi, known locally as Juan, was a category 5 super typhoon with winds in excess of 250 kph (155 mph) when it slammed into the east coast of north Luzon shortly before noon on October 18. The national disaster agency put the death toll at seven, a low tally for such a strong typhoon in the country. Fuller assessments of the damage were expected on October 19, although the typhoon had cut power and communications in many areas. After clearing the Philippines, Megi is expected to regain some strength over the South China Sea. … [Read more...] about Typhoon Megi clears Philippines