Typhoon Kammuri rumbling in from the Pacific forced Southeast Asian Games organizers to cancel or reschedule some events

SEA Games organizers vow to be 'more diligent.' Photo by Beatrice Go/Rappler. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

MANILA, Dec 1, 2019, AFP. The Philippines has begun evacuating thousands of people, local officials said Sunday, as a powerful typhoon rumbling in from the Pacific forced Southeast Asian Games organizers to cancel or reschedule some events, The Philippine Star reported.

Forecasters expect Typhoon Tisoy (Kammuri) to make landfall Monday evening or Tuesday morning, packing gusts of 170 kilometers (105 miles) per hour and maximum sustained winds of 140 kph.

The storm entered Philippine territory Saturday evening, shortly before President Rodrigo Duterte and boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao launched the Games with a colorful opening ceremony.

This year’s Games in Clark, Manila and Subic, which run through to December 11, are already particularly complex with a record 56 sports across dozens of venues that are in some cases hours apart by car.

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