The fourth typhoon to whip the Philippines in a month lashed the capital and nearby provinces Saturday, leaving fresh floods and new misery before blowing out of the country. At least seven people were killed and several were missing. Typhoon Mirinae, with winds of 93 miles (150 kilometers) per hour and gusts of up to 115 mph (185 kph), slammed into Quezon province northeast of Manila around midnight Friday. It quickly swept westward out to sea south of the capital and weakened into a tropical storm Saturday afternoon. «It is moving away toward the South China Sea,» said chief government forecaster Nathaniel Cruz. «That part of our lives with (Mirinae) is over.» Mirinae appeared to be heading next toward Vietnam, The Associated Press reported. Philippine authorities evacuated more than 115,000 people in nine provinces east and south of Manila in the storm"s path on main Luzon island, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported. Back-to-back storms in late September and early October killed more than 900 people, and a third storm then threatened the northern Philippines before veering toward Japan.
