Floods, landslides follow Mitag

2007-11-26 11:40

Manila - Power outages, flash floods and landslides hit the northern Philippines on Monday amid heavy rains and strong winds brought by a powerful typhoon that has already killed eight people.

The National Disaster Co-ordinating Council said more than 140 000 people were evacuated in the northern Philippines, which was suffering the brunt of Typhoon Mitag.

The council said that so far, there were no casualties reported in the northern provinces, but two people were missing in Apayao province, 360km north of Manila.

The eight fatalities were from the eastern provinces of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, which Mitag skirted on the weekend. Seven of the victims drowned in flash floods while the eighth was electrocuted.

Widespread power outages were experienced in the northern provinces of Isabela, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Aurora and Quirino.

Several roads in Cagayan Valley and Isabela were also impassable because of landslides and floods.

The Philippine weather bureau said Mitag weakened as it hit land in Isabela province, 330km north of Manila, late on Sunday.

Mitag with maximum sustained winds of 140km/h and gusts of up to 170km/h per hour arrived at dawn on Monday 40km north-west of Tuguegarao City.

The typhoon was moving toward Taiwan, which issued a sea warning as many parts of the island were already experiencing heavy rain and its central mountains saw mudslides and rockfalls, forcing the closure of two roads.

Authorities suspended sea and air traffic between Taitung in north-east Taiwan and offshore islets because of stormy weather.

Mitag, however, had weakened over the past day, and forecasters said it was unlikely that it would come close to Taiwan or make landfall there.

The weather bureau in the Philippines, however, warned residents in the northern provinces to heighten their vigilance as Mitag's heavy rains and strong winds pummelled their area.

"Residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes are alerted against possible flash floods, mudslides and landslides," it said.

"Likewise, those living in coastal areas are advised to be on alert for big waves or storm surges," it added.

The weather bureau also said that Typhoon Hagibis, which killed 13 people last week, re-entered the Philippine seas on Monday but had yet to affect any parts of the country on its return. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA