Typhoon Krathon Kills Five in Northern Philippines

Five people died in the northern Philippines during the onslaught of Typhoon Krathon, locally known as Julian, the country's disaster agency said on Friday. According to dpa, four of the five fatalities were recorded in the Ilocos Region, mostly due to drowning, while one person died in Cagayan Valley from electrocution, it said. The disaster agency issued a belated report due to difficulties assessing the extent of the damage during the height of the typhoon, which had briefly intensified into a super typhoon. The bad weather with strong winds and heavy rains mainly battered the Batanes island province, the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera mountainous region, and Cagayan Valley, causing floods and landslides. Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate their homes or seek shelter elsewhere. Source: Saudi Press Agency