A tropical storm whipped up tornadoes, triggered landslides and overturned boats as it cut across the central Philippines, leaving at least eight dead and eight more missing amid widespread flooding, officials said Thursday. Tropical Storm Nangka, with winds of 40 miles (65 kilometers) per hour and gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph), blew into the South China Sea west of Manila overnight and was expected to track north-west toward the Taiwan Strait this weekend, forecasters said.
Nearly 10,000 people were stranded aboard hundreds of ferries and motorboats, which were ordered to stay docked for safety Wednesday. As the weather began to clear Thursday, ships began leaving ports and only about 1,800 passengers remained stranded in 21 ports, officials said. Two people died when a landslide buried their house in southern Cagayan de Oro city after days of heavy rain. A farmer died Wednesday when a live electrical wire hit him as he was driving a tractor along a flooded street in central Romblon province, the national disaster agency and police reported.
In mountainous Quezon province, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south-east of Manila, a tornado struck a fishing boat that had taken cover in a cove, killing four fishermen and injuring two others late Tuesday. All six were sleeping on the boat near Perez township when the tornado hit, Mayor Pepito Reyes said. A man drowned in central Cebu province Tuesday. Eleven others, including five fishermen, disappeared in floodwaters and rough seas in eastern Samar Island and nearby provinces. Three were later found alive, officials said.