Philippine monsoon flood kills 15

Heavy monsoon rains flooded wide areas of Manila, stalling traffic and prompting schools to suspend classes

MANILA, Philippines -- The death toll in the Philippines following days of torrential rain has risen to 15, with South Korean tourists the latest victims of the deluge.

Twelve Filipinos died in separate incidents, including landslides, drownings and a road accident, while three South Koreans perished after their boat capsized in sea, officials said Monday.

Heavy rains caused submerged vast areas of Luzon Island in neck-deep floodwaters, forcing some 10,000 people to flee their homes.

But evacuees in the capital Manila returned to their homes as waters began to subside following a brief spell of sunshine.

Weather officials said the rains were caused by the current monsoon (rainy) season, but were intensified by the close vicinity of typhoon Rammasun.

Rammasun wreaked havoc in South Korea last week, causing severe flooding and the death of some 37 people across the peninsula.

Tourists dead

Two South Korean survivors recuperate at St. Patrick's Hospital in Batangas city, north-central Philippines

Philippine disaster officials said the three South Korean tourists who perished were all female and included a child aged four.

They said 23 others, mostly Koreans, were injured when their boat overturned in heavy seas en route from the resort town of Puerto Galera to a dive resort at Batangas.

A motorboat rescued most of the Koreans and the crew some two hours after their boat had capsized.

Local media reported that a formal charge has been filed against the boat's Filipino owner after it allowed the vessel to go out to sea despite a sailing ban on small watercraft being enforced due to strong winds and rain.

Meanwhile, some government offices and schools were closed Monday and the Treasury postponed a money-market auction of treasury-bills.

The stock market opened but trading was muted.

More rain

Weather officials predict more rain in coming days brought by the pressure of super typhoon Chata'an.

In Korea, officials are putting rescue workers on alert for a possible second hit by Chata'an.

The super typhoon continues to gather force as it moves toward southern Japan on Monday, packing wind speeds of up to 240km per hour.

It is still some 800 km Southeast of the Japanese island of Okinawa, and is expected to head in the general direction of the Ryuku Islands and western Japan in the next few days.

Apart from Chata'an, meteorologists in the Philippines said a new tropical depression is expected to cause rain in the western part of Luzon, including Manila, in the next few days.

A low-pressure system, about 690 km north of Manila, has developed into a tropical depression over the South China Sea.