Three killed as typhoon passes over Philippines

ATYPHOON has swelled rivers and flooded low-lying areas as it passed over the stormbattered north-eastern Philippines, where rescuers are helping people flee the rising water.

Rescue officials said at least three people had been killed – two in Camarines Norte province and another in the town of Tanay in Rizal province.

Typhoon Vamco passed north of Manila between Bulacan and Pampanga provinces, toppling trees and knocking out power. Officials said earlier that nearly 200,000 people had been evacuated, some forcibly, from vulnerable coastal and low-lying areas. Officials said about 1.9 million households were without power in the Manila region and nearby provinces. Many electricity poles were toppled, power lines were knocked down and transformers were damaged.

President Rodrigo Duterte took a break from an online summit of south-east Asian leaders to fly by helicopter over the affected areas.

“As president I guarantee you that your government will do its best to provide assistance in the form of shelters, relief goods, financial aid and post-disaster counselling. Rest assured, the government will not leave anybody behind. We will get through this crisis,” he said in a televised address.

Mark Timbal, spokesman for the government’s disaster response agency, said 363 rescue teams had been deployed consisting of 1000 rescuers with at least 40 rubber boats.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year. It is on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.