Typhoon claims 13 lives

MANILA (AP):A typhoon that flooded villages and farms in the Philippines' major rice-growing region yesterday killed at least 13 people.

Power outages affected Aurora province, where Typhoon Nari made landfall late Friday, and five nearby provinces due to downed pylons and emergency shutdowns that were intended to prevent accidents.

Nari slammed into the coast with 150 kilometre per hour (kph) or 94 mile per hour (mph) winds and gusts of up to 185 kph (116 mph).

It weakened after hitting the mountains in Aurora then quickly blew across the rice-growing central plains of Luzon.

More than 2,500 people were evacuated from coastal villages before the typhoon struck.

Civil defence Major Rey Balido said the fatalities included a man who was electrocuted, a police officer who was buried in a landslide while waiting for deployment to a rescue mission in Pampanga province, four people who drowned in floodwaters and five who were hit by falling trees.