At least six people were killed in landslides and other accidents in the Philippines following a week of heavy rains brought about by three tropical cyclones, officials said yesterday.
More than 229,000 people have been displaced by the floods, mostly in nine northern provinces, according to the national disaster risk management council.
Two children, aged three and six, were killed yesterday when a landslide buried their house while they were sleeping in the town of Barbaza, about 400kms south of Manila, police said.
The victims’ mother was injured in the landslide, a police report said.
On Friday, two brothers, aged 11 and 12, were killed when a portion of their house was buried in thick mountain soil after a landslide in the town of Agoo in the northern province of La Union, police said.
In the town of Bontoc in Mountain Province, a 54-year-old woman died when a passing van was hit by a boulder during a landslide on Wednesday, the national disaster risk management council said.
A 43-year-old man was swept away by a strong current as he crossed a river in the central province of Negros Oriental on July 15, it added.
Three tropical cyclones have been dumping heavy rains on a wide area of the Philippines since July 15, starting with storm Son-Tinh, followed by storm Ampil and a tropical depression locally called Josie.
The weather bureau said Josie, which was packing maximum sustained winds of 60kms per hour and gusts of up to 75kph, was expected to move out of the country by today.
Some of the affected areas have suspended school classes and work in government offices today amid warnings from the weather bureau of more rain.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 cyclones every year, causing floods, landslides and othera accidents.
The strongest typhoon hit the country in November 2013, killing more than 6,300 people.
Typhoon Haiyan also displaced more than 4mn people.
Meanwhile a “red” rainfall alert was raised in Cavite, Batangas, and Bataan because of heavy monsoon rains enhanced by tropical depression “Josie” as it moved towards the Philippine Sea yesterday, the state-run weather bureau said.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said this meant flooding was expected in these provinces. An “orange” alert is up in Metro Manila, Zambales and Laguna, which means floods are a threat to these areas.
Rizal is under yellow alert, which means flooding is possible in low-lying areas.


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