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PHILIPPINES: 146 PEOPLE KILLED BY TYPHOON DURIAN December 1, 2006
Bonny Apunyu
(SomaliNet) At least 146 people were killed by Typhoon Durian in Philippines following heavy rains and howling winds which set off landslides from a volcanic mountain, the head of the local Red Cross said on Friday.
According to a source, villages close to Philippine's Mount Mayon, around 200 miles (320 km) south of Manila, were covered in mud and rocks after Durian dislodged mounds of volcanic debris from its slopes.
"Our initial reports showed a total of 146 people were killed in three areas buried by mudslides," Richard Gordon said, adding that 75 people were still missing.
One of the Philippines' most active volcanoes, Mayon raised fears of a major eruption in August after months of spewing lava and boulders.
The President of Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the military to assist medical teams in reaching submerged villages.
A similar scenario occurred in 2004, where a series of storms left about 1,800 people dead or missing, including 480 who were killed when mudslides buried three towns in Quezon, an eastern province.