Philippine Typhoon Toll Increases to 25

Manila: The death toll due to typhoon Mangkhut slamming the Philippines rose to 25 on Sunday while dozens were still reported missing, authorities said. Presidential adviser Francis Tolentino confirmed these figures in Cagayan province, where the season’s most powerful typhoon made landfall on Saturday morning, reports Efe news. Most of the deaths occurred due to landslides in mountainous regions, which received torrential rainfall and strong winds during Mangkhut’s passage. Twenty of them occurred in Cordillera region, four in Nueva Ecija and one in Ilocos, according to national government figures. According to Tolentino, at the moment there is no information on victims in the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, on the north-eastern coast of the island of Luzon. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to visit the affected areas on Sunday and inspect the damage. After making landfall in Baggao in the north-eastern most tip of the country, Mangkhut caused wind gusts of up to 305 kph, torrential rains, floods and waves of up to six metres. In its westward trajectory, the typhoon weakened slightly and left the Philippine area of responsibility at around 9 p.m., heading towards Hong Kong with sustained winds of 170 kph. (IANS)