At least two persons were killed on Wednesday as super typhoon Xangsane, locally known as Milenyo, hit the island province of Antique, some 500 kilometers south of Manila, local television reports said.

Meanwhile, local and national disaster authorities have sent rescue teams to this central island province to pluck from deep floods some 100 people trapped in their village amid continued heavy torrential rains, police said.

Police said Air Force helicopters and Coast Guard patrol boats waited for their respective turns Wednesday to rescue some 30 families in low-lying village of San Antonio in Barbaza, Antique, which was virtually isolated due to chest-deep waters spawned by continued heavy rains overnight since Tuesday.

Typhoon Xangsane is now threatening central Philippines with peak winds of 160 kilometers per hour and moving 13 kilometers per hour northwest toward the island province of Sorsogon Wednesday evening.

There would be no classes in all levels in both private and public schools in Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna and Bulacan today due to typhoon Milenyo.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced the suspension of classes last night as the typhoon strengthened and roads got flooded due to rains. Some passengers were also stranded due to lack of public utility vehicles and traffic.

If the typhoon would continue its present course, it would hit Metro Manila Thursday afternoon, said local weather stations.

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2006)