Typhoon Fung-wong tore through the northern Philippines overnight, killing at least two people and forcing the evacuation of more than one million residents as it unleashed fierce winds, torrential rain, and destructive storm surges across Luzon, officials said Monday.
The powerful storm, locally known as Uwan, made landfall Sunday night in the eastern coastal town of Dinalungan in Aurora province as a super typhoon, packing winds strong enough to uproot trees, damage homes, and cut off entire towns.
Authorities said three municipalities in Aurora remain inaccessible due to landslides and impassable roads.
“We could not sleep last night because of the winds hitting our metal sheets and the tree branches falling,” said Romeo Mariano, a resident of Santiago City in nearby Isabela province. “When we got out to check our home, we saw the damage, almost all of the tree branches nearby had fallen.”
According to the Civil Defence office, at least two people were confirmed dead and two others injured, while damage assessments are still ongoing. Aurora vice-governor Patrick Alexis Angara said road-clearing operations are underway as authorities work to restore access and communication in the most affected areas.
The state weather bureau said Fung-wong had moved westward over the South China Sea by Monday morning but warned that much of Luzon would continue to experience heavy rains, strong winds, and coastal flooding.
Storm swells remained a threat in eastern and northern seaboards.
Air travel was severely disrupted, with more than 400 domestic and international flights cancelled since Sunday, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
Fung-wong is the 21st tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, arriving just a week after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 224 people dead in the Philippines and five more in Vietnam.
The Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations, is hit by an average of 20 typhoons annually.
Authorities have warned residents to remain on alert for possible flooding and landslides as cleanup and relief operations begin.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
