Heavy rain and floods have affected dozens of villages in the Philippines after typhoon Koppu wrecked havoc and killed at least two people.
Officials said that the typhoon had also forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.
Troops had been deployed to help residents trapped on rooftops, but are struggling to access more remote areas.
Koppu has now been downgraded to a severe tropical storm by the Japanese meteorological agency, which is responsible for naming and tracking it.
However, the Philippines’ own weather agency, which called the weather System Lando, is still characterising it as a typhoon.
The typhoon triggered head-high floods in 5 villages near Cabanatuan City, prompting rescue operations in the early hours of Monday.
Red Cross Bravo team had rescued 64 people in Barangay Sumakab since 3 a.m. on Monday and volunteers using boats and bangkas continued to rescue residents as many families remained stranded in their homes.
Local police and military officials worked on Sunday to rescue those trapped in flooded villages throughout some of the nation’s hardest hit provinces. Both Aurora and rice-growing province Nueva Ecija were among those swamped by floodwater.
The Philippines government announced on Sunday evening that work in government offices in Regions 1, 2, 3 and Cordillera Administrative Region would be suspended on Monday as Typhoon Koppu continues to hover over northern Luzon.
Presidential spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda, said that the suspension of work in government offices in those regions was implemented with the recommendation of the NDRRM.
