Death toll rises to 10 in wake of Philippine typhoon
MANILA: The death toll from a typhoon that hit provinces south of the Philippine capital rose to 10, disaster agencies said yesterday, pointing to precautions and compulsory evacuations as key in preventing more casualties.
Typhoon Kammuri, the 20th to hit the Philippines this year, made landfall on Monday night, prompting forced evacuation of thousands of residents and cancellation of hundreds of flights.
It also disrupted the schedule for some events in the Southeast Asian Games, which the Philippines is hosting until Dec 11.
Five people died in the central Bicol region, including three who drowned, a local disaster agency said in a report.
Five more were killed in a region south of the capital.
Around 345,000 people are still in evacuation centres, awaiting authorities' clearance for them to return home, said disaster agency spokesman Mark Timbal .
"The storm left the usual damage of major storms such as fallen trees, ruined roofs of houses and some government facilities," Mr Timbal said.
Officials said forced evacuations and preparations prevented greater loss of life.
Sustained winds of Kammuri weakened to 100 kmh as it headed towards the South China Sea. - REUTERS
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