At least one person died and 17 were missing after a storm dumped heavy rain and caused flooding in the Philippines, authorities said on Thursday, as a powerful typhoon barrelled towards the country.
Tropical Storm Conson hit the central province of Eastern Samar as a typhoon on Monday before weakening as it passed over the archipelago, forcing around 10,000 people to flee their homes, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
One person drowned on the island province of Marinduque, said Mark Timbal, spokesman for the disaster agency.
Another two deaths reported in Masbate province were yet to be confirmed by the authorities.
At least seventeen people, mostly fishermen, have been confirmed missing.
Floods were recorded in the provinces surrounding the national capital region along with communities in central regions, according to the disaster agency.
The heavy rain and flooding came as Typhoon Chanthu -- packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 195 kilometres per hour -- swept across the Philippine Sea towards the country's northeastern tip.
Chanthu is expected to graze Cagayan province on Friday, dumping intense and "at times torrential" rain over the region, before continuing north towards Taiwan, the state weather agency said.
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