The Philippines has begun cleaning up after Typhoon Noru swept across the northern part of the country, leaving five rescuers dead, floods and power cuts but leaving the capital relatively unscathed, Al Jazeera reported.
Noru, with sustained winds of 185 kilometres (115 miles) per hour, was the most powerful typhoon to hit the Southeast Asian nation this year.
The storm hit the coast before nightfall on Sunday at Burdeos town in Quezon province and weakened as it crossed into the main Luzon region overnight, prompting authorities to shut schools, government offices and the stock market.
Thousands of people were moved to emergency shelters, officials said.
Governor Daniel Fernando of Bulacan province, north of Manila, said five rescuers, who were using a boat to help residents trapped in floodwaters, were hit by a collapsed wall and then apparently drowned in the rampaging waters.
On Polillo island in northeastern Quezon province, a man was injured after falling off the roof of his house, officials said.
More than 17,000 people were moved to emergency shelters from high-risk communities prone to tidal surges, flooding and landslides in Quezon alone, officials said.
In Metropolitan Manila, more than 3,000 people were evacuated to safety.
ZZ/PR
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