Manila, Philippines (AP) — Tropical storms have killed at least three people in the southern and central Philippines, left hundreds of villagers homeless, and caused floods and landslides, officials said Wednesday.
According to forecasters, the storm Chewan was located southwest of central Masbate early Wednesday morning with a sustained wind of 65 km / h and a gust of up to 90 km / h. They are moving northwest and can weaken when blowing towards the South China Sea on Thursday, they said.
In the town of Norala, South Cotabato, he rushed to the riverbank with his father to rescue livestock in heavy rain, killing at least three people, including a 14-year-old villager who was swept away by strong tides. According to the Office of Civil Defense, the father remains missing.
Coast Guard personnel rescued villagers trapped in flooded homes, including southern Leyte, and carried 40 inhabitants, including children, to the gymnasium deep sea to the waist.
In 18 southern villages, more than 2,600 people lost their homes, most of them flooded. Of these, about 600 villagers have moved to shelters. Authorities said more space was needed to protect evacuees as a safeguard against the coronavirus.
More than 3,000 passengers and cargo handlers were stranded in central and southern seaports after the Coast Guard suspended maritime transport due to stormy weather. A small cargo ship loaded with sand and gravel was abandoned by the crew when it began to take water near the town of Albuera in central Leyte. The crew was safe, said Coast Guard spokesman Armand Barilo.
Approximately 20 tropical cyclones and typhoons hit the Philippine archipelago each year. Southeast Asia is also one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of active seismic activity where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur frequently.