Koppu leaves 20 dead, a trail of destruction

70,000 villagers forced into emergency shelters, rice fields ready for harvest destroyed

A resident wades through her flooded home in Cabanatuan, northern Philippines, on Tuesday, two days after Typhoon Koppu battered the city and nearby provinces. Koppu finally blew away from the main northern Philippine island on Tuesday, not before leaving at least 20 dead over the weekend and forcing 70,000 villagers into emergency shelters and destroying rice fields ready for harvest.

A storm finally blew away from the main northern Philippine island of Cabanatuan on Tuesday, after leaving at least 20 dead over the weekend, forcing 70,000 villagers into emergency shelters and destroying rice fields ready for harvest.

Disaster-response agencies said there was still a danger that rains dumped by tropical storm Koppu in mountain areas may flood rivers and put hundreds of downstream villages at risk.

Weakens into storm

Koppu was a typhoon when it blew ashore on Sunday, but it has weakened into a storm and was blowing Tuesday over the Luzon Strait with winds of 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour. It was expected to weaken further, according to the government’s weather bureau.

The sun briefly shone in flood-hit northern provinces, where villagers started to shovel away thick mud that had covered homes, roads and farmlands in the country’s main rice and vegetable-growing region.

2,90,000 affected

At least 20 people were killed, mostly due to from drowning, landslips, fallen trees and collapsed walls. Several people were reported missing and more than 2,90,000 were affected by the storm, including 70,500 who fled to evacuation centres.

President Benigno Aquino III, who flew to hard-hit Nueva Ecija province on Monday to check on the flooding and distribute food packs, said there were still worries that up to 800 villages could be threatened if rivers become overwhelmed by rainwater flowing down from northern mountain provinces.