Typhoon Kammuri crashes into the Philippines, forcing thousands of people to flee

Typhoon Kammuri landed in the central Philippines, at the southern end of the island of Luzon.

About 200.000 residents have been evacuated from coastal and mountain areas for fear of floods, storm surges and landslides.

Operations at Manila International Airport will be suspended for 12 hours from Tuesday morning.

Some events at the Southeast Asian Games, which opened on Saturday, have been canceled or rescheduled.

Rocky start to the Southeast Asian games in the Philippines
Outline of the country of the Philippines
The storm, which landed in Sorsogon province, is said to have sustained winds of up to 175 km / h (110 mph), with gusts of up to 240 km / h, with storm peaks of up to three meters. (nearly 10 feet) expected, the Meteorological Service said.

Tens of thousands had already fled their homes in the eastern part of the country, where the typhoon should have hit first.

But some have decided to stay despite the impending storm.

“The wind howls. The roofs are torn off and I saw a roof fly, ”Gladys Castillo Vidal told AFP news agency.

"We decided to stay because our house is two-story in concrete ... We hope it can withstand the storm."

The organizers of the Southeast Asian Games have suspended some competitions, including windsurfing, adding that other events would be delayed if necessary, but there are no plans to extend the games which are expected to end on December 11.

Airport authorities said Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the capital, Manila, would be closed from 11:00 to 23:00 local time (03:00 GMT to 15:00 GMT) as a precaution.

Dozens of flights have been canceled or hijacked and schools in the affected provinces have been closed, reports the AP news agency.

The country is affected by an average of 20 typhoons each year.