Storm kills eight in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Storm Son-Tinh blew out of the Philippines on Friday, leaving eight people dead and five missing, officials said.

Another 15 people were injured as the storm triggered floods, landslides and maritime accidents, said Benito Ramos, head of the Office of Civil Defense.

The fatalities included an 88-year-old woman who died from hypothermia, three children hit by falling trees or debris, and a child who had gone swimming in the storm, Ramos said.

Son-Tinh battered more than 30 provinces in the central, eastern and southern Philippines, and power was cut in some central and eastern provinces.

More than 16,000 people were stranded by the storm, which forced authorities to suspend all seafaring throughout the central and eastern islands.

Ferry services and flights resumed Friday as Son-Tinh moved away from the country, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and gusts of up to 55 mph.

The storm was forecast to hit China as a typhoon today, the U.S. Navy and Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.