Chest-high floods sweep Philippines; three dead

At least three people are dead in chest-deep floods that have swept across parts of the Philippines.

Days of incessant rain have shut down schools and disrupted travel. In all, nearly 200,000 people have been affected. Among the dead are two teenagers who drowned in the North Cotabato province.

The national disaster council says five provinces in the southern Philippines have reported rising floodwaters after the rain caused rivers to overflow. At least 135 villages and 19 municipalities have been affected.

The rains have closed schools, including in the capital, Manila. Many flights were cancelled on Thursday. More chaos could be on the way, with forecasters predicting that a low pressure area west of Manila could become a storm.