One person died and the army mobilized to evacuate thousands of residents as floods swamped parts of the Philippine capital early Monday, rescuers said.
An elderly woman suffered a fatal heart attack in one of the flooded areas, where some people were marooned on their rooftops, the civil defense office and reports said.
Weathermen said the heavy rains were caused by the seasonal southwest monsoons but enhanced by a tropical depression in the north and a low-pressure area over the South China Sea off the western coast of the main Philippine island of Luzon.
The civil defense office reported 24 flooded sections in northern and eastern Manila, with some streets under seven feet (2.1 meters) of water.
Radio stations said residents in these areas climbed to their rooftops to await rescue.
Mayor Amado Vicencio said on ABS-CBN television that 80 percent of Malabon, on the north shore of Manila Bay, was flooded early Monday but that the water had begun to recede.
There were no tallies immediately available on the exact number of people affected, but the civil defense office said about 1,000 families had to be evacuated in the northern Manila slum district of Tatalon alone.
Amphibious vehicles and trucks from the army were on standby to rescue marooned residents, it said.
The government declared a school holiday, but government offices were open. Thousands of motorists were stranded with few public utility vehicles braving the flooded streets, radio reports said -- MANILA (AFP)
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