DHAKA: Monsoon rains worsened by Typhoon Usagi pounded the Philippines for the third day on Monday, causing floods and landslides that left 18 people dead and others stranded on rooftops, officials said.

The most severely affected area was the province of Zambales, about 80km north-west of Manila where heavy rains caused rain-soaked soil to cascade down, killing 17 people in different parts of the province, said assistant civil defence director Nigel Lontoc.

‘They were surprised by the rain. It happened before dawn so they might have been asleep at the time,’ he told media, reports The Straits Times.

‘This is mountainous area and there are many houses on the slopes. The rain must have really weakened the soil,’ he added.

BDST: 1902 HRS, SEPT 23, 2013
RoR/Jck