This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7109013.stm

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Philippines storm leaves six dead Philippines storm leaves six dead
(1 day later)
At least six people have died in the Philippines, as heavy storms lash the islands ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Mitag, due to make landfall on Sunday. At least six people have died in the Philippines after Typhoon Mitag caused chaos in the country's north and east.
People have been told to evacuate their homes in the north of the country. Thousands of people were evacuated before the storm hit, with winds of up to 190km/h (121mph) ripping up power lines and uprooting trees.
The army has declared a ceasefire with local communist rebels so that troops can focus on damage prevention. Officials said five people drowned and one was electrocuted as the typhoon brushed past eastern provinces earlier.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, evacuees are returning home after Typhoon Hagibis - which left 13 dead in the Philippines last week - changed course. Mitag has now moved north-eastwards into the South China Sea, and is likely to miss mainland China.
Forecasters said Mitag - which had initially been expected to hit the central Bicol region of the Philippines - was gathering intensity off the coast of the islands and was now expected to make landfall in the north-eastern Philippine provinces of Aurora and Isabela on Sunday night. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, evacuees returned home after Typhoon Hagibis - which left 13 dead in the Philippines last week - changed course.
'Super typhoon' A much-weakened Hagibis is now heading back towards the western Philippines island of Palawan.
Government forecaster Nathaniel Cruz told the Associated Press news agency there was a "strong possibility of storm surges". Insurgent ceasefire
He noted that Mitag could intensify into a "super typhoon" with winds reaching 220 km/h (137mph). Philippine officials said people in the central Bicol region were especially relieved that Mitag had changed course.
"The end result is that more things will be blown down and destroyed," he said. The area is still recovering from last year's Typhoon Durian, which triggered flash floods and volcanic mudslides that killed hundreds of people.
Officials said that people in the central Albay region of the Philippines were especially relieved that the storm had changed course. Residents there have now been allowed to leave the emergency shelters where they had taken cover as the typhoon approached.
Animated guide: TyphoonsAnimated guide: Typhoons
The province is still recovering from last year's Typhoon Durian which triggered flash floods and volcanic mudslides that killed more than 1,000 people. With memories of Durian still fresh, the government and local authorities had taken action to try to minimise loss of life, evacuating more than 250,000 people.
In Vietnam, soldiers and police helped people return to their homes after Typhoon Hagibis lost its power and changed course, officials announced. And the army had declared a ceasefire with local communist rebels so that troops could focus on damage prevention.
The typhoon has now been downgraded to a tropical storm and is heading out to sea, according to Vietnamese forecasters. But many areas still suffered huge economic damage, with crops being ravaged by floods in the northern provinces of Cagayan and Isabela.
Meanwhile, a search is under way for at least 25 Filipino sailors whose boat capsized after being lashed by high winds in the South China Sea. "We were just one or two weeks away from harvest time," Cagayan's governor Alvaro Antonio told the Associated Press.
"I'm afraid we've lost everything to the flood and strong winds."