Philippines braces for new typhoon after 818 die in previous storms

The Philippines placed emergency teams on alert Sunday and dispatched relief goods to areas that could be struck by a new typhoon, as the death toll in two previous storms reached 818.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said rescue personnel and equipment had been “positioned to strategic areas” to respond to any accidents that may occur during Typhoon Lupit.

Food, clothes, medicines, blankets and other relief goods were also dispatched to ravaged northern provinces that could be hit by the latest storm, the NDCC said.

Local authorities alerted residents that could be affected by landslides and floods to prepare for evacuation.

The weather bureau said Lupit had gained strength as it remained almost stationary near the Philippines’ north-eastern coast.

It was packing maximum winds of 175 kilometres per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 210 kph.

Lupit is tracking a similar direction that typhoon Parma took before it slammed into the northern Philippines on October 3.
Parma hovered for almost one week over northern provinces, dumping rains that triggered massive landslides and floods, killing 438 people with 51 still missing.

One week earlier, storm Ketsana caused the worst floods in over 40 years in Manila and outlying areas, killing 380 people with 37 still missing.

Parma and Ketsana affected more than 8 million people and damaged agriculture and infrastructure worth nearly 23 billion pesos.

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Category: Society