Philippines typhoon evacuation effort

A POWERFUL typhoon has slammed into the south-eastern Philippines and is blowing across island provinces where nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas that could be devastated by flash floods, landslides and tidal surges, officials said.

Forecasters said Typhoon Rai, which had sustained winds of 185kph (115mph) and gusts of up to 230kph (143mph), blew from the Pacific Ocean into the Siargao Islands.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage but military and coastguard personnel were helping residents stranded by fast-rising waters.

Disaster response officials said about 10,000 villages lie in the projected path of the typhoon, which has a 400-kilometre (248-mile) wide rain band and is one of the strongest to hit the country this year.

The coastguard said it had grounded all vessels, stranding nearly 4,000 passengers and ferry and cargo ship workers in dozens of southern and central ports.