Thousands flee, one missing as storm hits Philippines

AFP  :
A man went missing and thousands of people in the Philippines were sheltering in evacuation centres Monday as Tropical Storm Jelawat hit the large southern island of Mindanao, causing scattered flooding and power cuts.

The storm weakened as it raked across Mindanao after making landfall in the morning, but the state weather service said the threat of floods and landslides remained.

Police in Manay municipality, where Jelawat made landfall, reported one man missing at the swollen Casaoman River that bisects the coastal town of about 40,000 people.

“A local man ignored warnings and went to gather coconuts floating on the river. It is suspected he’s been swept away,” acting Manay police chief Major Meliton Sango said.