More than 1,000 people have been killed or are missing after mudslides and flash floods devastated three coastal towns in the Philippines, a military spokesman said on Thursday. Residents of towns hit by floods have now fled to higher ground to escape an approaching powerful typhoon whipping them with rain and wind and threatening more destruction.
"Based on reports from our troops in the field, they have listed 479 dead and 560 missing in three towns in Quezon province," said military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Buenaventura Pascual.
Typhoon Nanmadol had gained strength and was expected to make landfall close to the worst flood-affected areas on the eastern coast late on Thursday, packing winds of 185 kph (115 mph) and on course to sweep through the main northern island of Luzon.
With flying conditions treacherous and roads cut off, disaster officials said they could do little to protect thousands of people made homeless by this week's floods and who were running short of food and drinking water.
Airlines cancelled several domestic and international flights and thousands were stranded at ports after ferries halted services. Schools, government offices and Manila's foreign exchange market closed early.
Officials say at least 421 people have died and nearly 200 are missing after landslides and floods hit several areas of Luzon on Monday. Illegal logging was blamed for exacerbating the disaster in which three coastal towns were devastated by a torrent of mud and logs in the wake of heavy rains.
The National Disaster Co-ordinating Council said 37,400 families, or 168,000 people, had been affected.