Manila - Eight people were killed and 11 missing after a tropical storm battered the central and eastern Philippines, a disaster relief agency said Thursday. Four of the fatalities were fishermen whose boat was caught in a tornado at the height of Nangka's onslaught in Quezon province, 120 kilometres south-east of Manila.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said two people drowned in the central province of Cebu while two died in a landslide in the southern city of Cagayan De Oro.
The NDCC said the 11 missing were a 4-year-old child swept away by floods, eight fishermen, and two teenagers who were swept away by strong currents while swimming near a beach.
More than 44,000 people were affected by Nangka, which weakened into a tropical depression overnight. It was moving west north-west at 15 kilometres per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph.
Dozens of domestic flights were canceled due to Nangka, while nearly 10,000 people were stranded in various ports in the affected provinces as the coast guard grounded all ships.
The weather bureau said Nangka could re-intensify into a storm over the South China Sea. It is expected to be 100 kilometres west of Taiwan by Sunday.
