Storm kills 4 in Philippines, heads towards Taiwan

TAIPEI, July 12 (Reuters) A tropical storm killed four people in the Philippines and was churning its way towards Taiwan where authorities today issued sea and land warnings for strong winds and heavy rain.

Tropical Storm Bilis, which is expected to strengthen into a typhoon, will likely make a direct hit on Taiwan tomorrow,Taiwan and Hong Kong weather authorities said.

By 1430hrs, the centre of the storm was about 420 km (260 miles) east of Taiwan and travelling northwest at 19 kph, with sustained winds of up to 90 kph and maximum gusts of 119 kph, Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said.

''The public should avoid entering mountainous areas and stay away from rivers and beaches,'' the bureau said in a statement.

Four people were killed and two injured in Olongapo City northwest of the Philippine capital of Manila yesterday night when their house was crushed by a falling tree, police said.

Bilis is the sixth biggest storm to hit the Philippines this year.

The storm has also prompted China's eastern province of Zhejiang to issue land and sea alerts, Xinhua news agency said.

Tropical storms gather intensity from the warm water and can develop into typhoons which frequently hit Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and southern China during a season that lasts from early summer to late autumn.

In 2001, one of Taiwan's deadliest years for storms, Typhoon Toraji killed 200 people. A few months later, Typhoon Nari caused Taipei's worst flooding on record and killed 100.

In February, about 1,400 people were entombed by a massive landslide on Leyte island in the central Philippines after two weeks of torrential rains.

REUTERS SHB RN1608