A powerful typhoon battered the eastern Philippines on Thursday with winds of up to 190kph, cutting off power to thousands of homes.
Residents of Catanduanes island, where the eye of Typhoon Durian passed early on Thursday on its way to the central Bicol region and the capital, Manila, said the winds were so strong it felt like an earthquake, Manila Radio DZBB reported.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in Catanduanes, about 370km east of Manila, after authorities ordered the evacuation of coastal areas, said Office of Civil Defence deputy administrator Arthur Golez.
Many people went to relatives’ houses on higher ground and about 120 sought shelter at the provincial capital, he said.
The ”super typhoon” — the fourth to hit the Philippines in as many months — was packing gusts of up to 225kph, the Philippine weather bureau said.
Radio reports said electricity was cut off to thousands of people in Bicol, while nearly 2 000 ferry passengers were stranded after the coast guard grounded all vessels.
Coast-guard commandant Rear Admiral Damian Carlos placed all units on the highest alert.
Officials suspended school classes in Manila and nearby areas and placed more than 25 northern provinces under storm alerts. All local governments and agencies were alerted to the possibility of landslides and flash floods.
In Manila, where the typhoon was expected to hit early on Friday, authorities directed billboard owners to pull down their tarpaulins to prevent a repeat of the collapse of many such structures when another typhoon hit the capital.
The Manila airport authority was considering diverting all incoming flights to Hong Kong, radio reports said.
In late September, Typhoon Xangsane left 230 people dead and missing in and around Manila. Typhoon Cimaron killed 19 people and injured 58 others last month, and earlier this month, Chebi sliced through the central Luzon region, killing one.
About 20 typhoons and tropical storms hit the Philippines each year. — Sapa-AP