Typhoon kills 18 in Philippines megacity

28.09.2011 [14:40]
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At least 18 people have been killed and thousands others stranded as a strong typhoon struck the Philippine capital, Manila.

The monsoon rains that had already soaked the city escalated with the Tuesday arrival of Typhoon Nesat, which generated winds, blowing with a speed of up to 140 kilometers per hour, AFP reported.

The casualties were expected to rise as more reports from the rescuers on the ground were to be received, said civil defense chief Benito Ramos.

"This storm is very intense, the rain is strong and winds are powerful... we are hearing of rivers about to burst their banks, and there are evacuations ongoing in different areas," he said.

Nearly two million households suffered blackouts in the megacity of more than 12 million population and its surrounding areas.

Schools and government offices were temporarily closed amid the chaos that forced airport officials to cancel dozens of inbound and outbound domestic flights.

About 20 strong storms hit the Philippines every year. The government said Nesat was one of the largest that the country had seen this year.

The fast-rising floodwaters hit Manila a day after the residents gathered to commemorate nearly 500 people killed during a 2009 cyclone.

Typhoon kills 18 in Philippines megacity

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