PHILIPPINES ORDERS EVACUATIONS AS STORM KONG-KEY APPROACHES

MANILA, Oct 29 (Bernama-dpa) -- Philippine authorities have ordered the pre-emptive evacuation of residents in high-risk areas ahead of potentially intense rains from severe Tropical Storm Kong-Rey, which has intensified as it moved closer to the country's north-eastern coast on Tuesday.

Kong-Rey, locally called Leon, was nearing typhoon category, with sustained winds of 110 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 135 kilometres per hour, the weather bureau said, reported German news agency (dpa).

Storm signal warnings were in place in 21 provinces, including five provinces recently devastated by severe Tropical Storm Trami, which left 125 dead and more than 935,000 people displaced, according to the national disaster agency.

Most of the 125 dead were killed in floods and landslides in the eastern region of Bicol and the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon and Rizal.

Twenty-eight people were still missing, while 115 were injured, the disaster agency said.

To avoid more devastation from Kong-Rey, authorities ordered residents in areas expected to be hit to take precautionary measures and evacuate before the rains intensify.

"This measure is very crucial to save lives," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a statement late Monday. 

"Being proactive will save lives; it's better to take action now than to regret later and lose lives."

Kong-Rey was about 645 kilometres east of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province, the weather bureau said. 

It was moving west-northwestward towards the eastern coast of Taiwan, where it was expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon or evening.

It was expected to "rapidly intensify" and could reach the typhoon category within 12 hours. It could reach the super typhoon category when it passes closest to the Batanes group of islands, the northernmost part of the Philippines.

-- BERNAMA-dpa