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Thousands evacuated as typhoon hits Philippines

Sunday, 10 May 2015 4:00 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 10 May 2015 4:04 PM ]

Soldiers evacuate families living near the Bulusan Volcano in the town of Irosin, in Sorsogon Province, south of Manila ahead of Typhoon Noul approaching the province, May 8, 2015. (© AFP)

Thousands of people are being evacuated from the northern coast of the Philippines as a massive typhoon strikes the East Asian country, officials say.

Norma Talosig, a regional civil defense chief, said more than 1,680 people in Cagayan Province were being evacuated from coastal villages.

“They have to evacuate to higher ground, not in their village. They are being assisted by the local governments using buses and trucks, even ambulances,” media outlets quoted Talosig as saying.

“Some people were worried about the security of the belongings they may leave behind. We have been trying our best, aiming for zero casualties but our efforts will be useless if some people don’t listen,” Talosig said.

Sources say more than 2,000 were expected to flee Typhoon Noul, which has triggered warnings of possible flash floods, landslides and storm surges across the region.

Meanwhile, the national civil defense chief, Alexander Pama, has said that the government forces were trying to evacuate People from low-lying and vulnerable areas where the water level could reach up to two meters (6.5 feet).

“Even as we speak, our armed forces are already moving... to help in the evacuation. So too are our police forces who are conducting evacuations in their municipalities,” Pama told reporters.

The country’s disaster management agency said on Saturday that thousands of people were stranded at ports ahead of the typhoon’s expected landfall.

A man works on his fishing outrigger boat as it is anchored at the mouth of a river feeding Manila Bay on May 10, 2015, after the Philippines coast guard banned sailing due to Typhoon Noul in the northern part of the country. ©AFP

The government weather station earlier said the storm hit Cagayan Province on the northern edge of the main island of Luzon Sunday afternoon. The storm was also expected to move northwest, toward Japan.

Meanwhile, authorities In Taiwan have warned sailors of high waves and evacuated almost 1,000 tourists from an island off the southeast coast.

In November 2013, Haiyan, the most powerful storm ever recorded on land, left more than 7,350 people dead or missing in the central Philippines.

Statistics suggest that the Philippines is struck by more than 20 typhoons each year, with most of the storms hitting the country’s north along the main island of Luzon.

JR/HJL/SS

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