A day after Super Typhoon Noru hit the Philippines on Sunday, authorities have revealed that at least five rescuers were killed. The rescuers were said to be sent to a flooded community during a powerful typhoon. So far, the authorities did not reveal details on their cause of death.
The authorities have revealed that the rescuers were in San Miguel municipality in Bulacan province, near the capital Manila, when they died. Renan Herrera, who is the San Miguel disaster officer, confirmed the deaths and said that they may have drowned in floodwaters.
Lieutenant-Colonel Romualdo Andres, chief of police in San Miguel, said, “They were deployed by the provincial government to a flooded area.”
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The typhoon caused thousands of people to leave their homes and locate in safer places. A heavily populated island of Luzon was battered by strong winds and heavy rain. The typhoon toppled trees and flooded low-lying communities.
This is the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year. So far there have been no reports of severe damage.
To mitigate the impacts, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos declared suspension of government work and classes for Monday because of the category three tropical storm.
The state weather agency said in its latest advisory that nearly 8,400 people were pre-emptively evacuated from the path of Typhoon Noru, which further weakened with sustained winds of 175 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 290 kph after making landfall.
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Marcos also suspended classes and work in Luzon. Flights got cancelled, ferries halted and bus routes shut as heavy rains and strong winds toppled trees and power lines.
Marcos said on Facebook that the energy ministry placed on high alert all energy-related facilities in typhoon-affected areas.
Nelson Egargue, disaster chief of Aurora province where Noru made landfall told DZRH radio station, “Utility posts fell and homes made of light materials near coastlines were damaged.”
“The wind is calmer now but it’s dark because we have no power supply,” Eliseo Ruzol, mayor of coastal General Nakar town adjacent to Noru’s landfall location, told DZRH.
(With inputs from inputs)
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