Thousands flee Philippine coast as storm approaches

Manila: Thousands of residents fled their homes along the Pacific seaboard of the Philippines Saturday as Tropical Storm Fengshen made landfall, trigg...

Manila: Thousands of residents fled their homes along the Pacific seaboard of the Philippines Saturday as Tropical Storm Fengshen made landfall, triggering warnings of coastal flooding.

The storm barrelled into the municipality of Gubat at the southeastern tip of the main island of Luzon late afternoon, with gusts of up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) an hour, the government weather service said.

Authorities said there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties, with evacuations already carried out in hazard-prone areas and low-lying communities.

"We had heavy rain and wind gusts, though they were not that strong," Gubat rescuer Ryan Estrellado told AFP by telephone.

Fengshen will likely intensify before making a second landfall in central Luzon on Sunday, the weather office said.