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MANILA: Torrential rains from Typhoon Vamco struck provinces on the Philippines’ main island of Luzon on Thursday (Nov 12), killing at least one person and paralyzing parts of the capital Manila as some residents waited to be rescued by boat due to the surge. of the waters.
Vamco, the 21st cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, struck a nation still reeling from Goni, the world’s most powerful typhoon this year that killed 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes in early November.
The latest typhoon, which has left three missing in a coastal province, comes as the Southeast Asian country is still grappling with a wave of COVID-19 infections and a battered economy.
READ: Philippines evacuate nearly 1 million as world’s strongest typhoon approaches this year
In some eastern suburbs of Manila, residents took shelter on top of their flooded houses.
“There are only a few steps left on our third floor and we have not seen any rescuers yet,” Pasig City resident Carla Mhaye Suico told DZBB radio as she took refuge on her roof with 15 relatives and neighbors.
Arlyn Rodríguez, a resident of the city of Marikina, told DZMM radio station that she was awaiting rescue with 20 other people, mostly children and the elderly after flooding increased rapidly.
Residents affected by flooding from Typhoon Vamco are rescued by boat in Marikina, Metro Manila, Philippines, on November 12, 2020. REUTERS / Eloisa Lopez
Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said that 40,000 homes had been totally or partially submerged in the area.
In parts of Manila, people traversed waist-deep floods, carrying valuables and pets, while rescuers transported residents in boats.
A man carries a dog while evacuating from a flooded community after Typhoon Vamco, in Marikina, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on Nov. 12, 2020. REUTERS / Eloisa opez
Flights and public transportation in Manila were suspended while the coast guard halted port operations. Government work was suspended and financial markets closed.
Vamco has now weakened, with sustained winds of 130km / h and gusts of up to 215km / h as it moves through Luzon, home to half of the Philippines’ 108 million people.
Vamco is expected to head to Vietnam. Floods and landslides over the past month have killed at least 160 people in central Vietnam, left dozens missing and damaged 390,000 homes.
The path of tropical storm Vamco, the third typhoon in as many weeks, rushed towards the Philippines AFP / Gal ROMA
