Tropical storm claims 12 lives in Philippines
Tropical storm claims 12 lives in Philippines
MANILA (AP): Tropical storm Xangsane whirled away from the Philippines Sunday, leaving at least 12 people dead and 25 missing in its wake, disaster officials said on Sunday.
Over 26,600 people were evacuated from flooded villages in southeastern portions of Luzon island, the worst-hit area. At least 217 people were injured, many by flying tin roofs and other debris.
The rains and strong winds had eased by Sunday, but officials said waist-deep water was hampering relief work in some areas of metropolitan Manila and in the provinces of Laguna and Cavite to the south.
Most of those who died either drowned or were killed by falling trees or collapsing walls. Among the missing were 19 fishermen who had been fishing from eight motorboats off Borlongan on the eastern island of Samar.
Officials expected the death toll to rise as government relief teams gained access to far-flung villages that had been isolated by power outages, floods and impassable roads.
The storm was located 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Luzon on Sunday evening and was moving toward southern China with sustained winds of 85 kph (53 mph) and gusts of 100 kph, forecasters said.
At the height of its fury, the storm battered eastern provinces with sustained winds of up to 110 kph, destroying houses, toppling electric posts and trees, flooding villages and capsizing motor boats.
More than 5,700 commuters and 200 buses, trucks and cars were stranded after authorities temporarily halted ferry boats to Samar and Sorsogon provinces and nearby areas.
Several international and domestic flights were either canceled or delayed Saturday because of strong winds and poor visibility, but most were resumed Sunday, airport officials said.
At least 15 passengers were injured on Sunday when a Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane traveling from the United States to Manila hit strong turbulence about 45 minutes before landing, airport officials said.
The Airbus 340 plane suddenly lost altitude, sending some of its 227 passengers, many of whom were not wearing seat belts, crashing into the overhead baggage bins and ceiling, officials said.
The 15 passengers, including some children and elderly people, were taken to a clinic at Manila's airport for treatment of injuries to the head, neck, feet and arms, said medical officer Caridad Ipac-Nuas.
Some of the passengers complained of dizziness and high blood pressure because of tension and fear, she said. Nuas quoted the passengers as saying they were hurled to the ceiling when the plane dropped after encountering severe turbulence.
PAL officials did not immediately provide details about the accident or the number of crew aboard the plane. The plane had made a stop in Honolulu after departing from the U.S. mainland. It landed safely in Manila, airport officials said.
The victims killed by the tropical storm included a 40-year- old man who was hit by a coconut tree in San Pablo city, south of Manila, said Melgabal Capistrano of the National Disaster Coordination Center.
Two more deaths were reported late on Sunday, including a woman who was electrocuted in Bulacan province north of Manila and a woman who was struck by a falling tree, NDCC officials said.
Officials raised their estimate of damage to property and crops to more than 641 million pesos ($12.5 million) after receiving new reports.
The storm damage is expected to add to the Philippines' economic woes, exacerbated by a political crisis over allegations that President Joseph Estrada received large gambling payoffs from a provincial governor. Estrada has denied the charges.
About 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippine archipelago annually.