Typhoon Kammuri slams into Philippines, killing at least two

TYPHOON Kammuri pummelled the Philippines as it made landfall for the fourth time yesterday afternoon, packing winds of up to 170km/hour.

According to the Philippine Weather Bureau, continuous intense rain will hover over the capital and neighbouring provinces.

Citizens were advised to watch for storm surges of up to 3 metres and flooding. Kammuri was expected to head out of the country on Thursday.

The Categor y 4 typhoon left a trail of fallen trees and overturned vehicles in its path. More than 200,000 people were evacuated.

Two people were killed; one man died after a tree fell on him.

“There are initial reports of houses blown away, power and communication lines down, roads blocked,” Red

Cross chairman Dick Gordon said in an interview. “If the typhoon hits a populous area like Manila, then it could bring flooding. But we can handle flooding,” he said.

Legazpi Airport in Albay was badly damaged with a portion of its roof blown off and windows broken.

Gordon said a clearer picture of the extent of the damage would emerge once roads were cleared of debris.

“Hopefully, we will get a free pass but it’s still too early to tell because many areas are still inaccessible,” he said.

Typhoon Kammuri, the 20th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year rammed into the main Luzon island just before midnight local time, triggering mass evacuations in coastal areas and hillside communities. ,