Two dead, thousands evacuated as typhoon lashes Philippines

MANILA (AFP) - Powerful Typhoon Cimaron lashed the northern Philippines, killing a mother and her child, and forcing thousands to evacuate, disaster relief officials said.
The 28-year-old woman and her child, six, were killed in a coastal village in Aurora province, where police chief Teodoro Saklolo said strong winds blew away houses made of light material and wood.
Cimaron, packing winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 230 kilometers an hour, slammed into the northern part of Luzon Island late Sunday.
Senior Superintendent Saklolo said some low-lying areas in Aurora were also flooded after heavy rains fell overnight.
Radio reports said the typhoon uprooted trees and toppled electricity poles, causing widespread blackouts in parts of northern Luzon.
However, Cimaron's tail was still expected to whip large areas in the north until Tuesday, said Civil Defence spokesman Anthony Golez.
Early Monday, the typhoon, one of the strongest in recent years to hit the Philippines, dumped heavy rain, causing river banks to overflow and rendering bridges and roads impassable.
Forecasters said the typhoon was weakening as it tracked westward, although it would continue to bring heavy rains until Tuesday.
Provincial emergency service officials in Aurora province said they had conducted a "preventive evacuation" of 367 families from low-lying areas in at least three towns isolated by floodwaters.
Nearly 100 families were also evacuated in La Union province, they said.
Strong winds also damaged more than 300 houses, while a landslide in Baguio City buried a house and injured three people.