 "3 killed, 4 injured in Philippines as tropical cyclone Ma-on intensifies")
The Philippine government on Thursday said tropical cyclone Ma-on that battered the main Luzon island this week killed at least three people and injured four others.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the deaths were tallied in two regions in the northern Philippines where Ma-on made landfall on Tuesday morning and one in the Bicol region in the southern tip of Luzon, reports Xinhua news agency.
It added that Ma-on affected nearly 50,000 people in almost 400 villages.
Blowing maximum winds of 110 km per hour with gusts of up to 150 km per hour, the cyclone flooded roads, damaged houses, and cut communications and power lines in its path.
President Ferdinand Marcos had ordered the suspension classes at all levels and government work in Metro Manila and six other provinces on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the risk posed by Ma-on.
Ma-on, which moved away from the Philippines on Wednesday morning, was the sixth tropical cyclone to hit this Southeast Asian country this year.
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The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries globally, mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and Pacific typhoon belt.
On average, this archipelagic country experiences 20 typhoons yearly, some of which are intense and destructive.
In April, the tropical storm Megi hit the Philippines and triggered landslides and flooding, leaving 224 people dead and 147 others missing.
--IANS
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