Thousands flee Philippine coast as Tropical Storm Fengshen makes landfall

Thousands of residents fled their homes along the Pacific seaboard of the Philippines on Saturday as Tropical Storm Fengshen made landfall, triggering warnings of coastal flooding.

The storm barrelled into the municipality of Gubat at the southeastern tip of the main island of Luzon late afternoon, with gusts of up to 80km (50 miles) an hour, the government weather service said.

There were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties, authorities said, with evacuations already carried out in hazard-prone areas and low-lying communities.

“We had heavy rain and wind gusts, though they were not that strong,” Gubat rescuer Ryan Estrellado told Agence France-Presse by telephone.

Fengshen was likely to intensify before making a second landfall in central Luzon on Sunday, the weather office said.

The weather bureau warned of a “minimal to moderate risk” of coastal flooding, with waves reaching up to 2 metres (6 feet).