Philippines/South-east Asia - typhoons

Arroyo puts Philippines under state of calamity

Article published on the 2009-10-02 Latest update 2009-10-03 12:51 TU

Residents in Pateros, east of the capital Manila, stand in floodwaters brought about by Typhoon Ketsana on 30 September 2009
(Photos: Reuters)

President Gloria Arroyo has placed the Philippines under a “state of calamity” in preparation for Typhoon Parma, which is expected hit the country this weekend.

Parma, with winds of 230 kilometres an hour, is forecast to reach rural areas in the north of the Philippines’ main island, Luzon, on Saturday morning.

It will be the second tropical storm to strike the country in succession, as Typhoon Ketsana has killed 293 people since last weekend.

Large areas of the Philippines, including the capital Manila, were already under a state of calamity, which allows local authorities to access emergency funding.

Arroyo has also ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents from coastal towns and low-lying areas in regions that are in the path of Typhoon Parma.

Over three million people were affected by Ketsana, which caused widespread flooding around Manila. The storm also killed 99 people in Vietnam and 17 people in Cambodia. The Red Cross in Laos reported that at least 16 people were killed and 135 were missing.

Meanwhile, up to 150 people are feared dead in Samoa after a tsunami battered the Pacific Island. Emergency workers said they have given up hope of finding more survivors. The death toll in nearby American Samoa stands at 31, while nine people were killed in Tonga.

And in India, torrential rains have claimed 86 lives in Karnataka state, with 35 dying overnight. More than 20,000 homes are reported to have collapsed and roads have been made impassable.

In the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh at least 16 people have died.