At least 10 people have been killed and about half a million displaced in the Philippines after Typhoon Kammuri tore through the country, leaving a trail of destruction. Deaths were reported in the region of Bicol on the southern tip of main Luzon island, and the provinces of Batangas, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque and Ormoc City, police and local disaster management agencies say. Two others were reported missing in the provinces of Isabela and Capiz, after Kammuri destroyed houses in its path across the Philippines. Albay province has declared a "state of calamity" to support a disaster response after widespread damage to agriculture and critical infrastructure. As Kammuri neared its exit on Wednesday, wind warnings were lifted in 10 of about 100 areas placed on alert this week, the Philippine weather bureau said. Filipino Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he sent his recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte to drop martial law in Mindanao. Manila airport shut down for 12 hours on Tuesday as a precaution, affecting nearly 500 flights, while half of the day's events at the South-East Asian Games, hosted by Manila and nearby cities, was rescheduled. At least 800 million pesos (Dh57.6m) of damage to agriculture was recorded in Bicol and south-western Tagalog regions, disaster management officials said. Kammuri is the 20th storm of 2019 to hit the Philippines. In 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,300 in the South-East Asian nation. Earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions are also frequent hazards.
