Fresh alert for Manila in near record deluge

Published on 09/08/2012 00:00

Heavy rains continued to pound Manila, the capital of the Philippines yesterday, prompting a new danger alert as emergency workers rushed food and water to almost one million people through streets turned into rivers after 11 straight days of monsoon downpour.

About 60 per cent of the city, a metropolis of about 12 million people, remained inundated, said Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster agency. The danger was compounded by a one-hour downpour of 54.7mm (2.15in), just shy of a record soaking of 56.58mm in September 2009, which killed more than 700 people.

Officials issued a new weather alert as the downpour hit, only hours after lifting an earlier warning. But many people refused to leave flooded homes, fearing a loss of valuables and livelihoods, Mr Ramos said.

Nineteen people have died since Tuesday, bringing the toll to 72 since late July.