A typhoon blew out of the northern Philippines today after causing at least 20 deaths, knocking out power in entire provinces, damaging two parked jetliners and forcing nearly half a million people to flee from its lethal wind and rains, officials said.
The eye of Typhoon Rammasun made a late shift away from Manila, but its peak winds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour and gusts up to 185 kph (115 mph) forced down trees and electric posts and ripped off roofs across the capital of 12 million people that largely shut down ahead of the deluge.
Although Rammasun packed far less power than Typhoon Haiyan, haunting memories of last year's horrific storm devastation prompted many villagers to rapidly move to safety at the prodding of authorities. Of the half a million people affected by Rammasun, more than 423,000 fled to emergency shelters, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
In a shantytown at the edge of Manila Bay, hundreds of people fled when strong winds started to tear tin roofs off their shanties. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said his city staged anti-disaster drills two weeks ago precisely to prevent massive deaths during a catastrophe and he was relieved that only a few residents sustained injuries today.
While the low human toll has been attributed to the typhoon skipping Manila, Estrada believed the public's higher awareness of anti-disaster manoeuvres saved many lives. He acknowledged that the wind and rain weren't as deadly as many have feared and it was a good time for everyone to hone their survival skills.
"It was like a drill," Estrada told The Associated Press.
Officials reported at least 20 deaths elsewhere, mostly people pinned by falling trees and electrical posts. A fire volunteer died when he was hit by a block of concrete while hauling down a Philippine flag in suburban Pasig city, said Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
At Manila's international airport, the left wing of a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 was damaged after strong gusts pushed it against a bridge passageway, manager Angel Honrado said. No one was injured.
There were no immediate estimates of the damage in many communities that lost power and telephone connections.
