2 dead, 2 missing as Typhoon Odette batters north

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Two people died and two others were reported missing as Typhoon Usagi, locally named Odette, continued to batter the northern part of the country, a senior government official said today.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Eduardo del Rosario said Alejandro Abalos, 50, and April Kim Manuel, 20, drowned when the boat where they were on board sank in the northern province of Aurora on Friday.

The ill-fated boat had 13 passengers, including six crew members, when it capsized. Nine of its passengers survived, while two others were missing.

Del Rosario said that 22 families or 65 individuals in Cagayan were displaced by the weather disturbance and were evacuated to a gymnasium and a municipal hall.

According to him, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has pre-positioned 99.86-million pesos worth of emergency relief resources for the affected population.

The state weather agency said that Typhoon Odette has slightly weakened and was still affecting extreme northern part of the country.

Odette has maximum winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph.