Manila, Sep 26 (DPA) Hundreds of people fled their homes in the Philippine capital and nearby provinces Saturday amid overnight heavy rains brought about by a tropical storm, the government said.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said more than 1,000 passengers have been stranded after authorities suspended the small ferries from sailing and several domestic flights were cancelled.
The agency said a total of 1,800 people, mostly from suburban cities of Marikina, Pasig and Muntinlupa, abandoned their homes near swollen rivers and creeks.
The non-stop rains also flooded major streets in Manila causing massive traffic jams.
The NDCC said there were no reported casualties in the bad weather that is expected to prevail throughout the weekend.
Nathaniel Cruz, chief forecaster of the weather bureau, said Ketsana made a landfall Saturday morning at the boundary of the eastern provinces of Quezon and Aurora.
Ketsana, with maximum winds of 85 kilometres-per-hour (kph) near the centre and gusts of up to 120 kph, was expected to be at the vicinity of the northwestern province of Zambales Sunday.
