Typhoon Nina weakens, leaves 4 dead

MANILA, Philippines (5th update; First published 7:45 a.m.) — State weather bureau PAGASA lifted cyclone warning signals from most areas previously alerted over the onslaught of Typhoon Nina, which roared over Bicol region and spoiled Christmas Day.

In a 5 p.m. advisory, PAGASA said Nina has further lost strength over land on Monday afternoon at 75 kilometers southwest of Subic, Olongapo. It moves west toward the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) at a speed of 20 kph.

The development has left a few remaining areas under Signal No. 2 and No. 1, particularly in the western portion of Luzon. This came a few hours after the typhoon made its eighth landfall over Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro at 1 p.m.

Nina has become weaker but still fierce with a typhoon status at 120 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, and gusts of up to 180 kph as of 5 p.m.

PAGASA's forecast track of Typhoon Nina (international name Nock-Ten) as of Monday, Dec. 26, 2016 at 5 p.m.

A farmer died after being pinned by a fallen tree in Quezon province and three other villagers, including a couple who were swept by a flash flood, died in Albay province, southeast of Manila, after the typhoon made landfall in Casiguran province Sunday night, police said.

Tens of thousands of villages were forced to flee on Christmas Day, the biggest holiday in the largely Roman Catholic country. The typhoon cut power to five provinces at the height of Christmas celebrations.

A cargo ship with an unspecified number of crewmen radioed for help as their vessel started to sink off Batangas, while another ran aground and turned on its side in the province's Mabini town, the coast guard said, adding that it sent vessels to rescue the crewmen of both ships.

The US Navy's weather agency categorized Nina, whose international name is Nock-Ten, a super typhoon on Sunday before downgrading it into a typhoon on Monday with winds of up to 148 kph (80 knots) and gusts of up to 185 kph (100 knots) on Monday morning.

On Sunday, the powerful typhoon made a landfall over Bato, Catanduanes at 6:30 p.m. and then slammed Sagñay, Camarines Sur at around 11:30 p.m. It made landfalls over several areas in Batangas before landing on Lubang Island.

The cyclone was one of the strongest to hit the Philippines since Typhoon Haiyan left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and displaced over 5 million in 2014.

Reports said the weather condition on an important holiday made it difficult for officials to get people's attention to heed the warnings. With many refusing to leave high-risk communities, some officials said they decided to carry out forced evacuations.

In the past 65 years, seven typhoons have struck the Philippines on Christmas Day, according to the government's weather agency.

— with reports from the Associated Press