Philippines copes with typhoon Yinxing

Philippine authorities said on Tuesday they had evacuated thousands of people from coastal communities ahead of Typhoon Yinxing, just weeks after Typhoon Tra Mi killed at least 150 people.

With maximum winds of up to 175 km/h, Typhoon Yinxing could make landfall in the northern Philippines late today or early tomorrow morning, November 8, AFP reported, citing an announcement from the Philippine state weather agency.

Yinxing is the third storm in less than a month to threaten the Philippines after Typhoon Tra Mi and Super Typhoon Kong-rey killed 158 people, most of whom were due to Typhoon Tra Mi.

A flooded area after heavy rains caused by Typhoon Tra Mi in Naga, Camarines Sur (Philippines) on October 25.

At least 17,000 people from coastal areas of Cagayan province, in the northernmost part of the Philippines, moved to temporary shelters on November 6 to avoid potential flooding due to heavy rains hitting the area, AFP reported, citing Cagayan provincial rescue official Rueli Rapsing.

"I expect more evacuees to arrive because there is an evacuation going on in the cities," said Mr Rapsing.

The Philippine national weather agency said Cagayan, home to about 1.3 million people, could be hardest hit by Yinxing based on the storm's current trajectory.

"We have exhausted the provincial rapid response fund and we are actually asking the national disaster council to replenish the rapid response fund so that we can assist," said Mr Rapsing.

In Ilocos Norte province near Cagayan, rescue workers were on standby to assist local police, firefighters and soldiers in emergency response, according to Ilocos Norte provincial rescue official Randy Nicolas.

Authorities are closely monitoring possible landslides, flooding and rising river levels in the province, Nicolas added.

Disaster response officials in the mountainous province of Apayao also said nearly 500 people had been evacuated, according to AFP.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/philippines-doi-pho-bao-yinxing-185241107150730812.htm