At least 7 dead in Philippines after storm floods

September 20, 2014 10:58 am | Updated November 17, 2021 01:20 am IST - Manila

Residents make their way through floodwaters after heavy rains spawned by tropical storm Fung-Wong flooded Marikina city, east of Manila, Philippines.

Residents make their way through floodwaters after heavy rains spawned by tropical storm Fung-Wong flooded Marikina city, east of Manila, Philippines.

At least seven people were killed and more than 100,000 displaced in floods triggered by a tropical storm in the Philippines, the national disaster relief agency said on Saturday.

Schools, government offices and the financial markets were shut down in the capital and northern provinces, where the floodwaters reached as high as 2 metres in some areas.

Four of the deaths occurred in Manila, including a 2-year-old girl, who drowned while her family was preparing to evacuate, and a college student who was electrocuted, the disaster relief agency said.

Three other victims were reported in provinces outside the capital, including a baby, who was hit by an uprooted tree in the northern province of Cagayan, it said.

More than 100,000 people fled to evacuation centres or stayed with friends and families in safer areas, the agency said.

Thousands of passengers were stranded in airports and seaports after dozens of flights and ferry trips were cancelled due to the bad weather.

Tropical storm Fung-Wong intensified as it moved away from the Philippines, packing maximum winds of 95 kph and gusts of up to 120 kph, the weather bureau said.

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