Typhoon Doksuri kills 5 in Philippines

Manila, July 27 (IANS) The death toll in heavy rains, floods, and landslides triggered by typhoon Doksuri climbed to five in the Philippines, the country's national disaster agency said on Thursday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said four were buried in a landslide in Benguet province and fatality was reportedin Rizal province, reports Xinhua news agency.

NDRRMC spokesperson Edgar Posadas said they are validating the reported deaths.

The number of deaths can still increase as local media and police report more deaths in some typhoon-affected areas.

Doksuri has affected nearly over 328,000 people across the Southeast Asian country, with around 20,000 in over 300 temporary shelters, the agency said.

Doksuri is the fifth typhoon to batter the Philippines this year.

The state weather bureau forecast Doksuri will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, dumping more rain in the next few days.

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries globally, mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Pacific typhoon belt.

On average, the archipelagic country experiences 20 typhoons yearly, some intense and destructive.

In 2013, the Philippines was hit by super typhoon Haiyan, which killed over 7,000 people.