Philippines Hit Again By Typhoon, Thousands Of Villagers Asked To Evacuate, Port Closed

The fourth Typhoon in the past month hit the Philippines. Local authorities asked thousands of villagers to evacuate while port operations were temporarily closed to prevent casualties on Monday, November 11 local time.

The local National Weather Agency said Topan Toraji hit the northeast coast of the Philippines adjacent to Dilasag City, about 220 kilometers (140 miles) northeast of Manila's capital.

"We were hit by strong winds and heavy rain. Several trees have fallen and power has been out since yesterday," said Merwina Pableo, Head of the Dinalungan City civil defense, near Dilasag, told AFP, Monday, November 11.

Until now, there is no complete data regarding the amount of damage and casualties caused by Topan Toraji.

"We haven't been able to go out to make an assessment of the damage," he added.

Disaster management official Donald Allan Ty revealed that at least 1,400 people were evacuated to evacuate from the coastal area of Dinalungan, which is prone to floods and landslides to nearby Kotamadya Baler.

Overall, the Government has instructed residents in 2,500 villages to be evacuated on Sunday 10 November.

Typhoon Toraji, which carries a maximum speed of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour, is moving quickly to the northwest and is expected to hit mountainous areas on the island of Luzon then blowing into the South China Sea on Monday, November 11 evening.

Schools and government offices in the region have the potential to be severely affected by Toraji are temporarily closed.

The Philippine National Weather Agency warned of strong winds and heavy rains in the country's northern region. Including the high risk of storm waves that threaten the coast of the main island of Luzon due to Topan Toraji.

Meanwhile, based on a temporary tally of Philippine coast guards, nearly 700 passengers were stranded at the port due to the closure of sea transportation operations today. The Weather Agency has warned of risky sea travel for all types or tonnages of ships.

"All sailors must remain at the port or, if they are sailing, seek shelter or safe harbor as soon as possible until the wind and the waves subside," said Donald Allan.