Typhoon Mitag approaches the eastern Philippines-Kills seven

Six people drowned and one was electrocuted by a fallen power line in the provinces of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, southeast of Manila, where the initial effects of the typhoon are being felt, the regional disaster office reported.

Civil defence office in Manila said at least 298,000 people had evacuated their homes in six provinces to avoid flash floods, landslides or volcanic mudslides that could be triggered by the storm.

The military has also declared a unilateral suspension of operations against communist insurgents in the areas likely to be affected by the storm to allow soldiers to focus all their efforts on helping in relief and evacuation efforts, military spokesmen said.

However, this would not prevent the military from carrying out law-enforcement operations or from protecting their camps or the public from attacks "that may take place during the suspension of military operations," said spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro.

President Gloria Arroyo had ordered a "pre-emptive evacuation" in vulnerable areas to avoid a repeat of the disaster last year when typhoon Durian struck the Bicol peninsula, killing about 1,200 people and leaving 200,000 homeless.