The death toll from Typhoon Noru in the Philippines has reached eight, with more than 50,000 people displaced by floods and landslides, the German news agency DPA reported on Tuesday quoting the national disaster agency. The dead were from the provinces of Bulacan, Zambales, Bataan and Quezon, which were the worst-hit areas, the agency said. Three people have also been reported missing in the eastern province of Camarines Norte. Reports of damage from the typhoon were trickling in as weather began to clear in the affected areas. Noru moved off the country on Tuesday but was expected to enhance a monsoon that would continue to bring rain over the north-western Philippines. Noru slammed into the Philippines on Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gusts of up to 240 km/h, but weakened after making landfall. The typhoon was now moving westward at 20 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h and gusts of up to 170 km/h, the bureau added. Government offices and school classes were suspended, while thousands of people were stranded after flights and ferries were canceled. Power and communication lines were downed in the affected areas, but officials said emergency teams were working to restore services. A wide area in the northern Philippines was still swamped with flood waters, based on photos from aerial surveys. Trees were toppled, while some rooftops were blown off. — Agencies
