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Over 2,000 families evacuated in C. Philippines due to storm

Xinhua, January 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 2,000 families have been evacuated in six provinces in central Philippines as tropical storm Mekkhala, locally known as Amang, battered the country, the state disaster management agency said on Sunday.

The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council ( NDRRMC) said earlier that a 27-year old volunteer worker died after being hit by a soundbox due to a collapsed scaffolding caused by heavy winds brought by the storm in central Philippine city of Tacloban on Saturday shortly after Pope Francis presided over a mass.

At least 26 domestic flights were also canceled due to bad weather. In addition, 11,600 passengers were stranded in eight regions due to rough sea condition.

Power supply was also cut in at least six provinces in the Visayas regio.

The tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gusts of up to 100 kph.

Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas of central provinces were alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides. Endi