Flash floods and landslides triggered by typhoon Fengshen (local name: Frank) left at least 19 people dead in central Philippines, while an overflowing dam stranded tens of thousands on rooftops, officials said Saturday. The typhoon nearly caught President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in mid-air while she was aboard a plane bound for the central Philippine island of Panay. The storm prompted Arroyo's plane to turn back and head for Davao City, presidential spokesman Secretary Jesus Dureza said. Immediately upon landing at the Davao airport, Arroyo ordered that warnings be issued in all provinces along the typhoon's expected path, and for local governments to prepare for contingencies. At least 30,000 people living in Iloilo in the central Philippines had scrambled onto rooftops fleeing the rushing water after the man-made dam overflowed, said the city's acting mayor Jed Mabilog. Rescuers have reported that many could be missing or killed, though this could not be independently confirmed, he said. “I have received a lot of text messages appealing for helicopters, there are many people trapped on the rooftops,” Iloilo congressman Serg Biron told DZBB radio. “This is the worst flooding that has hit Iloilo in history.” Fengshen, upgraded from a tropical storm on Friday, swept through the country's center over the weekend, unleashing torrential rains, causing power outages and forcing the evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people. __
