A powerful typhoon killed at least three and forced more than 200,000 people to flee when it tore through the Philippines with furious 96mph winds today.
Typhoon Kammuri blew into the Sorsogon province of Luzon island late on Monday then barreled westward through Quezon province, ripping off roofs, knocking out power and flooding low-lying villages.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 96mph and gusts of up to 146mph as it headed toward a cluster of island provinces and coastal regions lying south of Manila, where the Southeast Asian Games had opened on Saturday.
As the typhoon was exiting the Philippines it hit the central island of Mindoro, where one man was crushed by a falling tree and another was killed by a flying piece of lumber, police said.
Villagers move a fallen piece of roof as they clear debris from fallen homes in Legazpi after Typhoon Kammuri
The typhoon destroyed homes and cancelled hundreds of flights across the Philippines
Ahead of the storm’s arrival on Monday, a 33-year-old man was electrocuted while he secured a roof against furious winds. These had weakened to a maximum of 85mph later on Tuesday.
Authorities evacuated some 225,000 people ahead of the arrival overnight of Typhoon Kammuri, known locally as Tisoy, amid fears of flooding, storm surges and landslides.
Heavy rain and winds caused damage to the airport in Legazpi, where a portion of the ceiling collapsed and glass panes shattered.
Photographs from the aftermath show waves crashing against bulwarks, panels flying off roofs, and fallen trees.
Authorities warned of storm surges of up to three metres and possible floods and landslides ahead after heavy winds and rain.
The powerful storm had maximum sustained winds of 96mph and gusts of up to 146mph
Villagers watch on as groups of men remove fallen wood and metal sheets from the ground
A man walks past electric poles lying on the main highway after Typhoon Kammuri hit Camalig town
‘A lot of trees fell… There were a lot of roofs flying during the typhoon too,’ said Junie Castillo, a disaster officer in one of the areas first hit.
Operations at Manila airport were also suspended today, with authorities estimating they would resume at 11pm local time (3pm GMT).
Nearly 500 flights were cancelled earlier in the day, and officials warned passengers not to come to the airport.
One traveller, 23-year-old Constance Benoit, from Canada, was hit with a nearly day-long delay to her flight back home.
A motorist rides under an uprooted tree in the aftermath of Typhoon Kammuri in Legazpi city
Children play in the floodwater as strong waves splash up along a wall near the road in Legazpi
People walk over sand bags as they try to avoid a flooded portion of the entrance of the venues of the South East Asian games after rains from Typhoon Kammuri poured in Manila
Policemen carry a fallen tree as they clear debris from the road in the aftermath of the typhoon
‘It was the most turbulent flight I ever took in my life,’ she said. ‘I just discovered what airsickness is.’
The coast guard also suspended sea travel in the northeast, stranding more than 6,000 travelers along with thousands of cargo ships and smaller watercraft in the archipelago nation.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, killing hundreds and putting people in disaster-prone areas in a state of constant poverty.
The country’s deadliest cyclone on record was Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.
Filipino evacuees hold windows during strong winds brought by Typhoon Kammuri, inside a school classroom turned into a temporary evacuation center in Cavite City
Heavy rains and strong winds brought devastation across much of the Philippines on Tuesday
The storm caused power lines to fall across Camalig town in the Philippines on Tuesday
The Philippines canceled a tennis match in the Southeast Asian Games after rains drenched an outdoor court.
Organisers said wind surfing competitions have also been postponed and other events would be delayed if needed for safety but there was no plan to extend the 11-day games which opened Saturday.
Around 8,750 athletes and team officials are expected at this year’s 30th edition – the biggest ever – along with another 12,000 volunteers.