MANILA, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Several areas of Manila and towns around the Philippine capital were flooded Monday as heavy monsoon rains pounded the region, authorities said.
At least two people were reported to have died in flood-related incidents and three more persons remained missing.
The Metro Manila Development Authority said most parts of the capital had been flooded by continuous heavy rains which began Sunday. The approaching tropical storm Maring was making the situation worse.
The Philippines News Agency quoted the authority as saying at least six towns around Manila remained submerged in floodwaters. They report the towns were under water one to three feet deep.
The two people reported dead had drowned in an irrigation canal in Tanza, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.
Bloomberg reported the flooding had caused the closure of the financial markets, government offices and schools in the capital. The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) had halted equity trading and settlement at its Securities Clearing Corp. of the Philippines, the report said.
Tropical storm Maring was reported about 340 miles east of the northern Batanes province as of 4 a.m., with maximum sustained winds of about 46 miles per hour. Several local flights from Manila had reportedly been canceled.
Meanwhile, authorities said that 28 tourists who were trapped inside a cave due to flooding in Sumaguing Cave, Sagada, had been rescued and brought to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, the Philippine Star reported.
