MANILA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- At least three died and five were injured in the northern Philippines after days of intensive monsoon rains, authorities said on Sunday.
Heavy rainfall enhanced by a typhoon hammered down Metro Manila and many parts of the country this week, causing floods and displacing people in low-lying areas.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Ricardo Jalad told a radio interview that three deaths and five injuries were unrelated to flooding and landslides.
Jalad said one died after a tree fell on a car the victim was driving on the highway, while the other two died after being hit by lightning.
The NDRRMC said the rains affected nearly 88,000 people in 212 villages across the main Luzon island, and the government evacuated about 25,000 people to safety.
An average of 20 typhoons lashed the Philippines every year, bringing strong winds and heavy rains, resulting in flooding and landslides, significant damage to crops, houses and buildings, and deaths.
Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world, including active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Enditem
