MANILA, Philippines, May 28, (AP): A typhoon has finally moved away from the Philippines, leaving at least seven people dead, mostly due to floods or toppled trees, and forcing the closures of several seaports, stranding thousands of passengers, officials said Tuesday.
Typhoon Ewiniar crept by the country's eastern coast late Friday night and lingered over the Philippine islands for several days, before shifting northeastward away from the archipelago. All storm warnings were lifted Tuesday.
The typhoon's shift in direction spared the densely populated capital, Manila, from a potentially damaging hit.
Ewiniar, locally known as Aghon, was last tracked Tuesday about 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of the northern town of Basco in Batanes province with sustained winds of 130 kph (81 mph) and gusts of up to 160 kph (99 mph), according to government forecasters.
At least six villagers drowned in floodwaters or died after being hit by falling trees during the sudden deluge in the hard-hit province of Quezon, provincial police said. In southern Misamis Oriental province, a villager died when a tree fell and struck a motorcycle taxi she was riding on with her sister as they were on their way to school, police said.
Many villages were overwhelmed by flash floods. Some low-lying areas were engulfed in up to eight feet (2.4 meters) of water in Lucena, Quezon province's capital city. The flooding was partly due to clogged drainage systems after an extra-hot summer season, Quezon Governor Angelina Tan and other provincial officials said.
Tan said many houses, including the governor’s residence, were damaged by fierce wind and torrential rains. The typhoon forced her to seek shelter elsewhere while overseeing the distribution of food and other aid to displaced villagers, she said.