Philippines Evacuates Hundreds Of Thousands As Tropical Storm Claims Three Lives

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

The Philippines has evacuated hundreds of thousands of residents and confirmed at least three fatalities after Severe Tropical Storm Bualoi battered parts of the country still reeling from the impact of Super Typhoon Ragasa.

Civil defence officials in the Bicol region, southern Luzon, reported that three people were killed when walls collapsed and trees were uprooted by the storm, which is moving west-northwest with sustained winds of 110 kilometres per hour.

In one province, evacuees seeking refuge in a church were forced to take cover under pews after strong winds tore off the building’s roof.

“Around 4am, the wind destroyed the door, the windows and the ceiling of the church,” said Jerome Martinez, a municipal engineer in Masbate province.

“That’s one of the strongest winds I’ve ever experienced,” he added, noting that several children sustained minor injuries requiring stitches.

Bernardo Alejandro, a civil defence official, announced during a Friday press briefing that approximately 400,000 people had been evacuated as a precautionary measure.