24k to be evacuated as typhoon reaches Philippines
Some 24,000 people are being evacuated from the northeast coast of the Philippines as a massive typhoon makes its way towards the East Asian nation, officials say.
Filipino emergency services personnel started the evacuation procedure across coastal villages in the province of Aurora on Saturday, a day before Typhoon Maysak is projected to make landfall, said senior civil defense official for the region, Nigel Lontoc.
About 10,000 tourists were warned on Friday to keep away from the Aurora beaches, which reportedly witnessed big waves crashing along the shore.
Typhoon Maysak, once a super-typhoon that started out in the Pacific Ocean, has now weakened with maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers (99 miles) per hour.
According to state weather forecaster, Alczar Aurelio, Maysak is expected to weaken further as it crosses the main Philippine island of Luzon on Sunday. Large waves of up to two meters (6.6 feet) are expected to hit the area.
Last week, Maysak hit the Federated States of Micronesia, leaving at least five people dead and thousands homeless.
Each year, about 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines, many of them deadly. However, such weather disturbances are rare in April.
In early November 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the country, leaving more than 7,350 dead or missing.
The lingering effects of Haiyan and the rapid rise in food prices have increased the number of Filipinos living in poverty.
GMA
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