At least 17 dead as typhoon lashes Philippines

At least 17 people were killed as Typhoon Fengshen lashed the Philippines on Saturday causing flash floods and landslides.

Ten people drowned and five were missing after a river burst its banks in Maguindanao province. In Cotabato City, a man and a child were buried in a landslide at a rubbish dump, police said. Five other people were also drowned.

Fengshen, with winds gusting up to 195 kph (121 mph), is moving through the centre of the Southeast Asian country and is expected to exit on Sunday and head north towards Taiwan, according to storm tracker website www.tropicalstormrisk.com.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who leaves for an 8-day visit to the United States later on Saturday, ordered clean-up and rescue operations.

In the south, the navy used motorised rubber boats to rescue residents stranded in chest-deep water.

Fengshen, the sixth typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, tore up trees and power lines across wide swathes of the country. Flights were cancelled and ships kept in harbour.

In Boracay, the Philippines' top holiday island, tourists deserted the white beach and headed for bars and restaurants.

"We have assured people we will be able to get them out tomorrow," said Jay Paraoan, a hotel worker.

Heavy rain drenched Manila and rescue crews were at the ready in case of flooding.

"We'll sleep overnight at the emergency centre," Metro Manila Development Authority general manager Roberto Nacianceno told local radio.

About 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, triggering flooding and mass evacuations. Environmental groups blame illegal logging for making flooding worse, particularly in the central Philippines, where more than 5,000 people were killed in 1991 by floodwaters triggered by a typhoon.

In February 2006, 1,000 people were buried when a mudslide from a barren mountain submerged a farming village on a central island.