Philippines, 4 dead and tens of thousands evacuated due to tropical storm

Manila (Philippines), Sept. 26 (LaPresse) – Another tropical storm hit the Philippines today, causing at least four deaths and new evacuations of tens of thousands of people from landslide- and flood-prone villages long affected by typhoons. Bualoi, which weakened after making landfall overnight, is the latest in a series of consecutive storms from the Pacific to threaten Asia. Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest in recent years, caused at least 25 deaths in northern Philippines and Taiwan, mainly due to flooding, before making landfall in China and dissipating over Vietnam. Bualoi made landfall in the Philippine city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar last night with sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour, causing power outages in the city and villages, as well as flooding and two minor landslides, according to the national disaster mitigation agency in a press conference. According to provincial officials, more than 73,000 people from the provinces of Eastern Samar and Northern Samar sought refuge in government emergency shelters as the storm approached. The four deaths occurred in the central province of Masbate. Three victims were hit respectively by a falling tree, a collapsed wall, and falling debris, while a fourth was struck by lightning, authorities reported.