Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Kammuri Threatens Philippines

(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines evacuated tens of thousands of people as typhoon Kammuri, which is forecast to make landfall in Bicol region by Monday, threatens the main island of Luzon.

More than 43,000 people were asked to leave their homes as a pre-emptive measure in the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Masbate in Bicol region, a disaster management authority said in a report. More than 2,400 passengers were stranded in different ports in the region, and schools in six provinces suspended classes on Monday, it said.

Kammuri, the 20th tropical cylone to enter the Southeast Asian nation this year, was following a track similar to typhoon Rammasun in July 2014, which killed 106 people in the Philippines and damaged properties worth 38.6 billion pesos ($759 million). It’s also comparable to typhoon Durian in December 2006, which killed more than 730 people.

The national meteorological agency issued a cyclone warning Sunday, forecasting heavy rains over several areas in Bicol, provinces of Romblon, Marinduque and Quezon in Luzon, and Samar and Biliran in the central island of Visayas.

Winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour near the center are to be expected, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said on its website.

This adverse weather is hitting the Philippines as it hosts the Southeast Asian Games, a regional sporting event that will continue through Dec. 11. The organizing committee said they have contingency plans if it faces disruption from the storm, Bloomberg earlier reported.

--With assistance from Ditas Lopez.

To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Low in Singapore at elow39@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Andrew Davis

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.