Thousands of people were displaced in the Philippines as Typhoon Sarika slammed into the country on Sunday, triggering landslides and floods, disaster relief officials said, according to dpa. Sarika was packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometres per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 220 kph as it made landfall over the coastal town of Baler in the northern province of Aurora, the weather bureau said. It was moving west-northwest at 22 kph and was expected to cross the Philippines' main northern island of Luzon before exiting Monday. More than 12,000 residents were forced to flee their homes in the affected provinces, the national disaster risk management agency said. Nearly 300 domestic and international flights were cancelled, while 6,563 passengers were stranded in 22 seaports after passenger and cargo vessels were banned from sailing. Power was cut off in some affected areas, as Sarika's winds toppled electricity poles and trees, while water supplies were disrupted in at least one province. Some roads were also closed due to landslides and flooding, disaster relief officials said.
