Typhoon Nesat brings death and destruction to Philippines

A powerful typhoon struck the Philippines today killing at least seven people and leaving swathes of the capital under water.

The army struggled to evacuate residents of Manila as waves crashed over sea walls and left people wading through waist-high waters.

Low-lying areas were flooded with hospitals, hotels and the US embassy compound closed. The first reported death was a one-year-old who drowned after falling into a river. A mother and child were also killed when their house was hit by a falling tree.

Four fishermen were missing while more than 50 others were rescued along eastern shores after their boats capsized in choppy seas.

The typhoon came a day after the sprawling coastal city of 12 million held commemorations for the 500 people killed during a cyclone in 2009.

Typhoon Nesat hit at dawn in eastern provinces and headed inland just north of Manila with up to an inch of rain per hour. Doctors were forced to move patients from Manila Hospital's ground floor, where waters were neck-deep, and all power was lost.

President Benigno Aquino, on a state visit to Japan, said: "I'm in constant touch with my cabinet and the executive secretary has been instructed to keep me and the public informed of conditions pertaining as well as mitigation efforts." He added that typhoons were a "fact of life" in the Philippines which is hit by dozens each year.