Philippine rescuers race to help towns hit by
Typhoon Utor
Published on Aug 13, 2013
11:58 AM

Government workers clear debris from a road following a landslide that occurred at the height of Typhoon Utor in Baguio
city, in northern Philippines, August 12, 2013. Philippine rescuers cleared landslide-choked roads on Tuesday in an effort to
reach isolated villages that were devastated by deadly Typhoon Utor, which left tens of thousands of people homeless. -PHOTO: REUTERS
MANILA (AFP) - Philippine rescuers cleared landslide-choked roads on Tuesday in an effort to reach
isolated villages that were devastated by deadly Typhoon Utor, which left tens of thousands of people
homeless.
The government reported that two people had been confirmed killed and 11 others were missing after Utor,
the strongest storm this year, swept across the north of the country on Monday.
"Trees have fallen down, roofs have been torn off houses, electric poles and electric towers have
collapsed," said National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman Reynaldo Balido,
describing chaos from coastal towns to mountain villages hundreds of kilometres apart.
One of the top priorities for rescuers were three towns in Aurora province on the east coast of the main
island of Luzon that were in Utor's direct path when it made landfall before dawn on Monday.
The towns, home to about 45,000 people, were still completely cut off on Tuesday morning, according to
Aurora disaster chief Elson Egargue.
He said the mayor of one of the towns, Casiguran, reported that 95 per cent of the buildings in the town
had been destroyed.
Rescuers deployed earthmoving equipment on Tuesday to clear the national highway leading to the three
towns, which was blocked in several areas by landslides, floods and fallen tree trunks, Mr Egargue said.
However, both Mr Egargue and Mr Balido said officials had not reported any major deaths, giving cause
for optimism.
"These towns are used to typhoons so we hope they have become more resilient and avoided casualties,"
Mr Balido said.
He said the national disaster council had dispatched a helicopter to Casiguran on Tuesday to assess the
damage and check for casualties.
Gerardo Noveras, the governor of Aurora, said on ABS-CBN television that the road to Casiguran should
be re-opened on Tuesday afternoon.
Hundreds of people die each year in the Philippines from the roughly 20 typhoons or tropical storms that
strike the country annually.
But when Utor hit land, its wind gusts were reaching 200 kilometres an hour, making it the strongest storm
this year, according to the weather bureau.
"This was nearly as powerful as Bopha," Mr Balido said, referring to the world's deadliest typhoon last
year that hit the southern Philippines in December, killing more than 1,000 people.
Utor flattened at least 1,577 houses and more than 30,000 people were in temporary shelters on Tuesday,
according to the disaster council.
However, this tally did not include many people in the three devastated towns in Aurora province, as
authorities had not been able to assess the damage there.
The two confirmed fatalities were a man who drowned and another who was buried by a landslide.
Of the 11 people listed as missing, one was a woman swept away as she stood crying for help atop her
house that was swept away by a swollen river.
A local television crew filmed the woman as she was swallowed up by the river.
"The community was evacuated before the onslaught of the typhoon but she refused to be evacuated," said
civil defence chief Norma Talosig for the northeastern Philippines.
The Red Cross listed a third death but gave no details.
He said the typhoon had also caused severe damage to farms in the province of Isabela, one of the
country's top rice and corn producers.
On Tuesday, Utor was in the South China Sea tracking towards southern China, according to the Hong
Kong Observatory.
It said Utor's wind gusts were reaching 155 kilometres an hour.
Russian hiker missing on Indonesia volcano
Published on Aug 13, 2013
7:48 PM
YOGYAKARTA (AP) - Rescuers are searching for a Russian hiker who went missing while climbing
Indonesia's most volatile volcano on the main island of Java.
Local search and rescue agency spokesman Teguh Supriyadi says Ehbrehnin Yeveny was reportedly
climbing Mount Merapi on Saturday when the 26-year-old sent a text message to his girlfriend asking for
rescuers to come find him after he lost his way.
Mr Supriyadi says 48 rescuers were mobilised on Tuesday to search for Mr Yeveny, whose last message
early on Monday said he was in a river and walking toward lights he believed were coming from a town.
His footprints were discovered on Monday.
The 2,968m high mountain is the most active among Indonesia's volcanoes and is a popular hiking spot for
tourists. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed 347 people.
Philippine rescuers race to help towns hit by
Typhoon Utor
Published on Aug 14, 2013
6:10 AM
This image, captured by Nasa's Terra satellite on Aug 12, 2013, shows Typhoon Utor over the Philippines. Philippine
rescuers searched isolated towns devastated by deadly Typhoon Utor on Tuesday as barefoot children stood among ruined
homes, but early preparations appeared to have avoided mass casualties. The government said four people had been
confirmed killed and 11 were missing after Utor, the strongest storm this year, swept across the north of the country on
Monday. -- PHOTO: AFP
MANILA (AFP) - Philippine rescuers searched isolated towns devastated by deadly Typhoon Utor on
Tuesday as barefoot children stood among ruined homes, but early preparations appeared to have avoided
mass casualties.
The government said four people had been confirmed killed and 11 were missing after Utor, the strongest
storm this year, swept across the north of the country on Monday.
"Trees have fallen down, roofs have been torn off houses, electric poles and electric towers have
collapsed," civil defence office spokesman Reynaldo Balido said, describing chaos from coastal towns to
mountain villages hundreds of kilometres apart.
The typhoon hit land in Casiguran, leaving the town of 25,000 largely destroyed but with relatively few
casualties, said Eduardo del Rosario, head of the government's National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council.
First television footage of the impact there showed barefoot children standing expressionless among
broken furniture in the flattened remains of their house.
The footage, taken by an ABS-CBN crew who joined Mr del Rosario on a brief visit, showed roofs blown
off entire neighbourhoods with some homes reduced to rubble. Other buildings had windows blown out.
A huge gap showed where a bridge used to span a river, and groves of coconut trees were shorn of their
leaves and fruit.
Mr del Rosario said two out-of-town fishermen who had sought shelter in Casiguran had been killed, while
several locals were treated for cuts and other minor injuries.
"They were told to seek shelter in the evacuation centres, but instead these two fishermen slept in their boat.
In the morning they were found dead," he told a news conference.
A man drowned and another was buried by a landslide elsewhere on Luzon island, while 11 were missing
after the typhoon struck, the disaster agency added.
Soldiers clambered over landslide-choked roads to reach Casiguran and nearby areas on foot Tuesday. The
highway to Casiguran should reopen on Wednesday after bulldozers were used to remove landslides and
fallen trees, said provincial disaster official Elson Egargue.
Residents reported no major casualties, according to local military spokesman Major Ernesto Garcia,
adding troops were already clearing roads and distributing relief.
The Philippines is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to typhoons. Storms often make their first
landfall there after they form over the Pacific Ocean and move west.
Hundreds of people die from the roughly 20 typhoons or tropical storms that strike the country each year.
Utor hit land with wind gusts reaching 200kmh early Monday, making it the strongest storm this year,
according to the weather bureau.
Mr Joe Curry, country chief of the aid group Catholic Relief Services, and others involved in the rescue
said the death toll may be lower than feared because residents were well prepared.
"I think people are agreeing that these places have been hit many times before, so they know how to deal
with typhoons. The flood damage is less than it has been before," Mr Curry said.
Philippine National Red Cross secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang told AFP that people in the worst-hit
areas were typhoon veterans.
"They know how to prepare, they know how to check for early warning signs like flood levels," she said.
Nevertheless, more than 30,000 people were in temporary shelters on Tuesday after Utor destroyed more
than 2,000 homes, the civil defence office said.
Of the 11 people listed as missing, one was a woman filmed by a television crew as she stood crying for
help atop her house that was swept away by a swollen river.
"The community was evacuated before the onslaught of the typhoon but she refused to be evacuated," said
Norma Talosig, civil defence chief for the area.
On Tuesday night Utor was in the South China Sea tracking towards southern China, according to the
Hong Kong Observatory.
Waves as high as 11m were expected in the north of the South China Sea from Tuesday night into
Wednesday, China's National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center said, according to state news
agency Xinhua.
Working teams had also been requested to direct disaster prevention efforts in Guangdong province, where
the typhoon is expected to make landfall between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, Xinhua
reported.
Winds up to 98kmh hit Hong Kong in the early hours of Wednesday as Utor centred 300km south-west of
the city, according to the observatory, and a Number 8 storm signal was raised.
Typhoon Utor brings gales to Hong Kong on
way to China
Published on Aug 14, 2013
8:02 AM
A man holds his broken umbrella against heavy winds in Hong Kong on Aug 13, 2013 as the city braces for deadly Typhoon
Utor which earlier swept through the Philippines. -- PHOTO: AFP
HONG KONG (AFP) - Offices and public transport shut down in Hong Kong on Wednesday as Typhoon
Utor brought gales and heavy rain to the Chinese city after leaving four dead in the Philippines.
Winds gusted over 100 km per hour in Hong Kong where rain lashed down throughout the night and into
Wednesday, with a "Number 8" tropical cyclone warning issued - the second highest level.
The government opened 17 temporary shelters and one 26-year-old woman was taken to hospital as a
result of the storm, according to the city's hospital authority, which said her condition was stable but had
no further details.
Ferry terminals, schools and courts were closed Wednesday morning as Utor skirted 250 km southwest of
the city, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
The opening of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was also delayed due to the typhoon.
Utor was heading towards the western coast of Guangdong in southwest China, the observatory said.
Utor is predicted to make landfall on Wednesday night or Thursday morning, according to China's state
news agency Xinhua.
Waves as high as 11 metres were expected in the north of the South China Sea from Tuesday night into
Wednesday, Xinhua reported, with disaster prevention teams requested for the Guangdong area.
Rescuers in the Philippines searched isolated towns devastated by the typhoon, which hit on Monday, but
early preparations appeared to have avoided mass casualties.
The government said four people had been confirmed killed and 11 were missing after Utor, the strongest
storm this year, swept across the north of the country.
"Trees have fallen down, roofs have been torn off houses, electric poles and electric towers have
collapsed," civil defence office spokesman Reynaldo Balido said, describing chaos from coastal towns to
mountain villages hundreds of kilometres apart.
The typhoon hit land in Casiguran, leaving the town of 25,000 largely destroyed but with relatively few
casualties, said Mr Eduardo del Rosario, head of the government's National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council.
First television footage of the impact there showed barefoot children standing expressionless among
broken furniture in the flattened remains of their house.
The footage, taken by an ABS-CBN crew who joined Mr del Rosario on a brief visit, showed roofs blown
off entire neighbourhoods with some homes reduced to rubble. Other buildings had windows blown out..
Mr Del Rosario said two out-of-town fishermen who had sought shelter in Casiguran had been killed,
while several locals were treated for cuts and other minor injuries.
"They were told to seek shelter in the evacuation centres, but instead these two fishermen slept in their boat.
In the morning they were found dead," he told a news conference.
A man drowned and another was buried by a landslide elsewhere on Luzon island, while 11 were missing
after the typhoon struck, the disaster agency added.
Hundreds of people die from the roughly 20 typhoons or tropical storms that strike the Philippines each
year.
Utor hit land with wind gusts reaching 200 km an hour early Monday, making it the strongest storm this
year, according to the weather bureau.
Philippine National Red Cross secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang told AFP that people in the worst-hit
areas were typhoon veterans.
"They know how to prepare, they know how to check for early warning signs like flood levels," she said.
Nevertheless, more than 30,000 people were in temporary shelters on Tuesday after Utor destroyed more
than 2,000 homes, the civil defence office said.
Of the 11 people listed as missing, one was a woman filmed by a television crew as she stood crying for
help atop her house that was swept away by a swollen river.
"The community was evacuated before the onslaught of the typhoon but she refused to be evacuated," said
Ms Norma Talosig, civil defence chief for the area.
6.5-magnitude quake reported in Colombia,
no reports of casualties, damage
Published on Aug 14, 2013
1:00 AM
BOGOTA (AFP) - A 6.5-magnitude earthquake rattled north-western Colombia Tuesday but there were no
immediate reports of casualties or damage, the authorities said.
The Seismological Network of Colombia said the quake struck at 10.43am in the Pacific Ocean, 99km
from the town of Nuqui in the department of Antioquia.
The Colombian authorities ruled out the threat of a tsunami.
The Colombian report said it was felt especially strongly in the city of Quibdo, the capital of the
department of Choco, where people ran out into the streets.
It was also felt in the departments of Quindio and Tolima.
Colombian seismologists said the quake, which was at a depth of less than 30km, had a reading of 6.5 on
the Moment magnitude scale.
The United States Geological Survey, reporting on the same event, measured the quake at 6.7 on the same
scale.