Typhoon 'Karen' displaced hundreds, kills a fisherman

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - A 70-year old fisherman was killed and over a hundred families were displaced due to bad weather caused by Typhoon Karen in the Philippines, a senior government official said today.

Benito Ramos, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director, said that 70-year old Juan Cabales of Tomas Oppus, a town in Southern Leyte, went on fishing last Thursday, but his body was found off the shore of Kawayan village of Libangon town in the same province two days later.

Ramos also said that continuous rain in Metro Manila since Friday night until Saturday had caused massive flooding, which forced over a hundred families, or about 400 individuals, in 14 villages in Quezon City and San Juan City to evacuate.

The affected families were evacuated either in the villages' halls, elementary schools, covered court, church and gymnasium, he added.

The Philippine state-weather forecasting agency said Karen, which will not directly affect the country, would continue to enhance southwest monsoon that would bring occasional moderate to heavy rains over Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Bicol Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Western Visayas.

"Residents in these areas are advised to be alert against possible flashfloods and landslides," the weather forecasting bureau said. (From Philstar.com)