Typhoon Fung-wong blows away from Philippines, leaving eight dead

Typhoon Fung-wong blew out of the northwestern Philippines on Monday after causing floods and landslides, knocking out power to entire provinces, killing at least eight people and displacing more than 1.4 million others.

The typhoon was forecast to head northwest towards Taiwan.

Fung-wong lashed the northern Philippines while the country was still dealing with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 224 people dead in central provinces on Tuesday before pummelling 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 185kph (115mph) and gusts of up to 230kph (143mph).

The 1,800-kilometre (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.

One person drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes, and another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province when her house collapsed on her, officials said.

In the northern province of Nueva Vizcaya, three children died in two separate landslides and four others were injured, police told The Associated Press.

An elderly person was killed in a mudslide in Barlig, a town in northern Mountain Province, according to officials.

Another landslide in Lubuagan town in nearby Kalinga province killed two villagers and two others were missing, provincial officials said late on Monday.

More than 1.4 million people moved into emergency shelters or the homes of relatives before the typhoon made landfall, and about 318,000 remained in evacuation centres on Monday.

Fierce wind and rain flooded at least 132 northern villages, including one where some residents were trapped on their roofs as floodwaters rapidly rose.

About 1,000 houses were damaged, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV of the Office of Civil Defence and other officials said, adding that roads blocked by landslides would be cleared as the weather improved on Monday.

“While the typhoon has passed, its rains still pose a danger in certain areas in northern Luzon, including in metropolitan Manila,” Mr Alejandro said.

“We’ll undertake today rescue, relief and disaster-response operations.”

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of 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 185kph (115mph) or higher are categorised 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 it is understood the United States, the country’s long-time 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 cancelled 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.