Super Typhoon Kills 1 in Philippines, Tens of Thousands Flee

(Bloomberg) -- At least one person was killed and tens of thousands fled their homes as Super Typhoon Surigae made a close approach to the Philippines’ eastern provinces.

A 79-year-old male was declared dead on arrival at a hospital after suffering severe head injury caused by a fallen coconut tree in Leyte province in central Philippines, the disaster risk-reduction agency said in an April 18 report. More than 109,000 people have been evacuated in six provinces in Bicol, a region frequently slammed by typhoons, according to the agency’s civil defense office.

Surigae, locally known as Bising, is bringing heavy to intense rains over the Bicol region and the eastern provinces of Samar, Biliran and Leyte. It is moving northwest and further away from the main Luzon island, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour and gusts of as much as 240 kilometers per hour, the Philippine weather bureau said. At one point, Surigae had Category 5 strength.

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