Typhoon Fung-wong wreaks havoc in Philippines, leaves at least 10 dead

Typhoon Fung-wong blew come out of the northwesterly republic of the philippines on mon after scope off floods and landslides, knocking out power to entire provinces, killing at least 10 people and displacing more than 1.4 million others.

The typhoon was forecast to head northwest toward Taiwan.

Fung-wong lashed the northern Philippines while the country was still dealing with the devastation wrought last week by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 232 people dead in central provinces on Nov. 4 before pummeling Vietnam, where at least five were killed.

Fung-wong slammed ashore in northeastern Aurora province on Sunday night as a super typhoon with sustained winds of up to 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph).

The 1,800-kilometer (1,100-mile)-wide storm weakened as it raked through mountainous northern provinces and agricultural plains overnight before blowing away from the province of La Union into the South China Sea, according to state forecasters.

At least 10 people died due to flash floods, landslides, exposed electrical wires and a collapsed house in the provinces of Catanduanes, Eastern Samar, Nueva Vizcaya, Mountain Province and Ifugao, disaster-response and provincial officials said.

Among the dead were three children who were hit by two separate landslides in the mountainous province of Nueva Vizcaya, police told The Associated Press, adding four others were injured. Another landslide in nearby Kalinga province killed two villagers and two others were missing, provincial officials said late Monday.

More than 1.4 million people moved into emergency shelters or the homes of relatives before the typhoon made landfall, and about 240,000 remained in evacuation centers on Tuesday.

Fierce wind and rain flooded at least 132 northern villages, including one where some residents were trapped on their roofs as floodwaters rapidly rose. More than 4,100 houses were damaged, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV of the Office of Civil Defense and other officials said.

“While the typhoon has passed, its rains still pose a danger in certain areas” in northern Luzon, including in metropolitan Manila," Alejandro said. “We'll undertake today rescue, relief and disaster-response operations.”

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong, which was also called Uwan in the Philippines.

Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) or higher are categorized in the Philippines as a super typhoon to underscore the urgency tied to more extreme weather disturbances.

The Philippines has not called for international help following the devastation caused by Kalmaegi, but Teodoro said the United States, the country’s longtime treaty ally, and Japan were ready to provide assistance.

Authorities announced that schools and most government offices would be closed on Monday and Tuesday. More than 325 domestic and 61 international flights were canceled over the weekend and into Monday, and more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded in ports after the coast guard prohibited ships from venturing into rough seas.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 typhoons and storms each year. The country also has frequent earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

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