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/ 22 November 2007
Thousands of people were being evacuated on Thursday as tropical storm Mitag gained strength, becoming a typhoon as it neared the eastern Philippines, officials said. Mitag, packing winds of 120km/h with gusts of 150km/h was barrelling towards the Bicol peninsula, south-east of the capital, Manila, the local weather bureau said.
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/ 6 December 2006
Workers shifted tonnes of sand and volcanic rock on Wednesday to open up vital lifelines to isolated eastern Philippines hamlets days after mudslides left more than 1 200 dead and missing. Restoring roads and electricity networks to bring help to desperate survivors is now the priority after the worst-affected Bicol peninsula in the Luzon region recovered and buried its dead from Typhoon Durian.
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/ 5 December 2006
The first foreign aid flights of food and medicines arrived on Tuesday in the eastern Philippines, where officials said devastating mudslides have left more than 1 080 people dead or missing. The devastating torrents of mud and volcanic ash triggered by typhoon rains swallowed entire villages near Mount Mayon volcano last Thursday.
Ominous posters around Legaspi city, in the Philippines, show the nearby Mayon volcano erupting forcefully, shooting fiery sparks into the sky with blood-red lava dripping from its mouth. But the words on the poster are cheerful rather than frightening: "Visit Legaspi: Mayon Eruption 2006."
Mayon volcano in the Philippines could soon unleash a huge cloud of deadly gases and ash, experts warned on Sunday, as 40 000 people prepared for a second week in crowded evacuation centres. Four powerful ash explosions rocked the spectacular 2 460m peak on Saturday, covering nearby communities to the north-west with a light layer of dust.
Rescuers on Wednesday raced against time to get stragglers away from the rumbling Philippine volcano Mayon, with nearly 40 000 people so far fleeing the danger zone. A two-day effort by the military and local government has seen 39 278 people safely evacuated from villages surrounding the mountain.