On the heels of a typhoon that left at least 19 people dead in the Philippines, another tropical storm brewing in the Pacific is expected to hit the area within 24 hours, according to the state weather bureau.
Typhoon Nesat — referred to in the Philippines as Pedring — displaced thousands but is expected to move offshore Wednesday afternoon, the state-run Philippines News Agency reported.
A baby boy was among the 19 dead after Typhoon Nesat slammed into the Philippines on Tuesday, authorities said.
Four people were reported killed in metro Manila, two in Central Luzon, and one in Catanduanes, the Office of Civil Defense said. Three more were reported injured and four were missing as of Tuesday afternoon.
Pedring, struck the agricultural provinces of Isabela and Aurora the hardest. But storm alerts were also issued for more than 40 other areas, including metro Manila, the state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
More than 64,000 people have been affected by the typhoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said, with several thousand families now being helped in evacuation centers.
More than 100 people were rescued across the country, the council said, many of them from boats.
In Albay, in southern Luzon, more than 3,000 people were affected, the state-run news agency said early Wednesday.
The storm was centered about 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Baguio City, in northwestern Luzon, the state-run news agency said.
The presidential palace announced the suspension of all classes for schools and work for government agencies in Manila and other affected areas. The Philippine Stock Exchange also suspended trading.
Some roads around Manila were impassable due to flooding and falling debris, including branches that had been ripped off trees.
Several areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces were without electricity as the powerful storm cut power and transmission lines.
Source: CNN