Another storm threatens Philippines

The Philippines faced a new powerful storm Thursday as authorities struggled to restore normalcy in the wake of the deadly and destructive Typhoon Nesat. Nesat, locally called Pedring, exited the Philippines after lashing the densely populated northern Luzon Island where Manila is located. The Philippine Star newspaper, quoting the national disaster risk reduction agency, reported fatalities from flooding, landslides, high winds, falling trees, collapsed structures and drownings blamed on Nesat, had risen to 35, with at least 45 people missing. The agency said most of the deaths occurred in Central Luzon, where 12 people were confirmed dead. Four people missing, including a 17-month-old baby, were buried in a "trashslide" in Olongapo City. Search efforts were continuing. The storm, which made landfall Tuesday morning in Luzon's Aurora Province and exited the country late Wednesday, affected nearly 500,000 people and displaced nearly 185,000, officials said. About 450 people remained stranded in the ports of Pasacao, Mamburao, Batangas and Aparri, the agency said. Damage to infrastructure and crops was estimated at more than $22 million, China's official Xinhua news agency reported. The Manila area was hit by torrential rains and winds that left many sections in waist-deep water and streets strewn with tree limbs and debris. Several shops were destroyed. The more than 400-mile wide Nesat was one of the strongest typhoon's the country has faced, with a rain and wind path twice as big as those of an average typhoon, the Manila Times said. Another storm, to be named Quiel, entered Philippine waters Thursday. NDRRMC head Benito Ramos said several areas in Luzon had been alerted to the approaching new storm, reported to be 186 miles wide, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and moving at six mph.