27 killed in Philippines by Typhoon Chan-hom
Pastor Dale Morgan
27 killed in Philippines by Typhoon Chan-hom*
From correspondents in the Philippines
Agence France-Presse
May 08, 2009 08:19pm
AT least 27 people were killed and thousands displaced overnight as
Typhoon Chan-hom raked the northern Philippines.
The typhoon blew out into the Philippine Sea off the northeast coast of
Luzon island early today after unleashing landslides, floods, and power
cuts across the north of the country.
Among the worst-hit areas was the mountain town of Kiangan and nearby
areas that were devastated by landslides, and the cape of Bolinao on the
South China Sea coast that bore the full force of its landfall late
yesterday.
"Bolinao - well frankly speaking it's devastated,'' Defence Secretary
Gilberto Teodoro said in Manila after a helicopter overflight of the
coastal region swamped with floods and littered with downed pylons.
Chan-hom killed 15 people in Bolinao and nearby towns, where strong
winds knocked down houses, trees and electric posts, he added.
In the Cordillera mountain region northeast of Bolinao, nine villagers
were crushed to death by large boulders that rolled down slopes in
Kiangan and nearby towns last night, Olive Luces of the local civil
defence office said.
The rocks hit homes and a truck, the driver of which was among those
killed, she added.
Five people were injured, while two elderly residents were missing after
two houses were buried by another landslide in the neighbouring town of
Lagawe, Ms Luces added.
The civil defence office in Manila said a man died of a heart attack in
a landslide in Olongapo city, northwest of Manila. The weather
disturbance displaced more than 4000 people, it added.
Power was knocked out in many areas while entire towns in the north
remained flooded.
Ferry services between southern Luzon and nearby islands resumed today,
allowing more than 1000 passengers stranded overnight Tuesday to leave
the ports, the civil defence office said.
Mr Teodoro said an army division of several thousand soldiers has been
ordered to help rescue people trapped by floods and clear debris left by
the typhoon in Bolinao and nearby areas.
President Gloria Arroyo has ordered food, drinking water, medicines, and
temporary housing materials rushed to the affected regions, Mr Teodoro said.