MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A violent storm was blowing from the northern Philippines Tuesday after killing at least 14 people in landslides, floods and swollen rivers, disaster officials said.
Tropical Storm Yagi swept through the town of Paoay in Ilocos Norte province in the South China Sea with sustained winds of up to 75 kilometers (47 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 125 kph (78 mph), according to the weather bureau.
It was forecast to strengthen into a typhoon as it moved northwest over the sea toward southern China.
Storm warnings remained in effect across most northern provinces of the Philippines, where residents were warned of the continuing danger of landslides in rain-soaked mountain villages and flooding in the agricultural plains of Luzon, the country’s most populous region.
Locally called Enteng, Yagi strengthened seasonal monsoon rains and triggered downpours across Luzon, including in the densely populated capital region of Metro Manila, where classes and government work remained suspended Tuesday.
At least 14 people have died in landslides, floods and swollen rivers in northern and central provinces, including in Antipolo, a popular Roman Catholic pilgrimage town and tourist destination west of Manila where at least three residents, including a pregnant woman, died in a hillside landslide that buried shantytowns and four others drowned in streams and rivers, Antipolo disaster mitigation official Enrilito Bernardo Jr. told The Associated Press by telephone.
Four other villagers are still missing after their homes were washed away by the flood, Bernardo said.
Thousands of travelers were stranded Monday after sea travel was temporarily halted at several ports and 34 domestic flights were suspended due to the storms.
A training ship, M/V Kamilla, anchored in Manila Bay off the capital’s Navotas port, was hit by another vessel that veered off course due to strong waves. The Kamilla’s deck was damaged and it later caught fire, prompting the 18 trainees and crew to abandon ship, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
A passing tugboat rescued 17 of the people who had abandoned ship and one of them managed to swim to shore, the coastguard said.
Every year, about 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines. The archipelago is located in the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a region that stretches across most of the Pacific Ocean and is home to many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, making this Southeast Asian country one of the most exposed to natural disasters.
