3 killed in central Philippines tropical storm

MANILA, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A tropical storm barrelled into central Philippines on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring at least six, a government spokesperson said.

The state weather bureau PAGASA said tropical storm Kai-Tak made landfall at Eastern Samar in Visayas around 1:30 p.m. local time, dumping rains, triggering floods and landslides in the regions.

Gust of up to 110 km per hour hit the provinces in Visayas in central Philippines and south of the Philippine main Luzon Island, PAGASA said.

Thousands of passengers were stuck in ports as Coast Guard suspended ferry services, and the tropical storm also caused power outages in the affected provinces, according to news reports.

Mina Marasigan of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management said the victims included a two-year-old boy who drowned in the flood in Leyte province.

She added that three others were reported missing following a landslide in Biliran, an island province in the central Philippines. Enditem