MANILA: Philippine authorities reported that at least seven people were killed by tropical storm Ewiniar, which struck over the weekend. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Tuesday that search and rescue operations would continue.
Ewiniar brought strong winds and heavy rain to provinces south of the capital, causing airport and seaport closures and power outages. As of Tuesday, the storm was moving toward Japan’s east coast with sustained winds up to 130 kilometers per hour (80 mph) and gusts up to 160 kph (100 mph).
In southern Misamis Oriental province, a 14-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on the vehicle she was in, and another student was injured, according to the national disaster agency. In Quezon province, east of the capital, six fatalities were reported, including two men who drowned and a man who was struck by a falling tree, police major Elizabeth Capistrano told DWPM radio station.
Marcos, speaking before a state visit to Brunei, noted that nearly 27,000 people were affected by the storm, which also disrupted operations at three airports and nine seaports over the weekend.
Ewiniar is the first tropical storm to hit the Philippines this year. The country typically experiences an average of 20 storms annually, often leading to heavy rains, strong winds, and deadly landslides.
