MANILA — The Philippines evacuated coastal areas and put emergency workers on alert on Wednesday as a storm expected to grow into a super typhoon headed toward central islands still recovering from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit last month. Typhoon Haiyan, with gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), was moving over the sea at 30 kph (18 mph) and may make landfall at mid-day on Friday in the central islands of Samar and Leyte, said Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo. “We are advising the people to secure their homes because we are expecting a powerful typhoon, a super typhoon,” Montejo said. “It's still in the Pacific but it has gained speed and may enter our area of responsibility by tomorrow (Thursday).” Officials in the central Cebu, Bohol and Albay areas have closed schools, prepared emergency shelters and food and put emergency workers on alert. “We're aiming for zero casualties so we sent advisories to local disaster agencies to start evacuating people from coastal and low-lying areas as well as those in landslide-prone areas,” said Flor Gaviola, a regional disaster official. Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, local governments and institutions are now busy preparing for supertyphoon “Haiyan” which is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility within the next 24 hours. The Department of Education (DepEd) and the respective provincial governments of Cebu, Bohol and Albay announced the suspension of classes in all levels starting Nov. 7, after the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the typhoon would hit Visayas and parts of Luzon and Mindanao. Militants abduct 2 workers Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants have abducted two contractors for a telecommunications company in the southern Philippines, the latest captives by a ransom-seeking group that still holds two European tourists and other hostages, officials said Wednesday. Nasri Abubakar and Dennis Aluba were traveling with a guide on motorcycles after inspecting a cellphone transmission facility when they were stopped by about 10 Abu Sayyaf gunmen Tuesday in mountainous Patikul town in Sulu province, marine Col. Jose Cenabre said. The guide managed to escape while the gunmen led the victims to a jungle. The abducted men were technicians for a sub-contracting firm that was helping set up a phone transmission network for the country's leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom. Globe expressed hopes that the victims would be safely freed. — Agencies
