8 dead, 9 missing in tropical storm in Philippines

The Associated Press, Manila | World | Fri, October 26 2012, 7:44 PM

A tropical storm left at least eight people dead and nine missing in the Philippines on Friday before heading toward Vietnam and southern China.

Civil Defense chief Benito Ramos said the fatalities included an 88-year-old woman who died of hypothermia and 77-year-old man hit by a falling tree, both in the central Philippines.

His agency reported three drowned in separate incidents, two children killed by a falling tree and a girl buried in a landslide in separate incidents in the central and southern Philippines.

More than 30,000 people stranded at seaports and airports were expected to resume their journeys after storm warnings were lifted Friday and floodwaters began subsiding.

The Philippine weather bureau said Tropical Storm Son-Tinh entered the country early Wednesday. It was located about 570 kilometers (360 miles) west of northern Zambales province late Friday afternoon.

It also gained strength as it moved westward at 22 kilometers (14 miles) per hour with winds of 85 kilometers per hour (53 mph) and maximum winds of 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph).

Weather forecaster Fernando Cada said it could hit the northern coast of Vietnam by Sunday based on its current speed.