Rescuers brought bodies of victims out of a mud slide side in Baguio, the Philippines, on September 16. (Source: AFP/VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Philippine and Chinese authorities are still counting the death tolland damage caused by Typhoon Mangkhut, the strongest storm in the world in thelast two years.
Mangkhut struckthe Philippines on September 15 and weakened from a typhoon to a tropical stormas it moved deeper into southern China on September 17, with rain and strongwinds expected to continue through September 18.
By the end ofSeptember 17, it was reported the death toll in the Philippines, mostly on itsnorthern island of Luzon, amounted to 65; and the number of people missing was rising.
Many of themissing were gold miners and their families feared they were buried in a landslideafter seeking shelter in a bunkhouse-turned-chapel in Itogon town, in Benguetprovince. Rescuers had so far found 11 bodies from a muddy mound covering theshelter. The chance of finding survivors was projected at 1 percent.
The storm also hurtthe country’s production of vegetables, rice and corn with the harvest seasonjust a month away.
The storm slammedinto southern China, including Guangdong province and the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions, on September 16.
The country’smeteorological administration said Mangkhut was one of the 10 biggest storms tohit southeast China since 1949. Millions of people were evacuated from thetyphoon, which caused floods, damaged buildings, uprooted trees and suspendedtraffic. It led to the first ever closure of all 42 casinos in Macau.
Locals are nowrecovering from the havoc. The traffic flow has resumed in Guangdong, whereeight people were killed and 951,000 evacuated during the storm. Hong Kong hasbegun its efforts to clear the streets, with public services and schoolsexpected to reopen after September 18.-VNA
VNA
