Numerous people have been left hopeless after a major landslide in the Philippines following the devastation caused by Typhoon Mangkhut. Dozens of people have been trapped and at least 40 people, mostly gold miners, are missing after part of a mountain slope collapsed on houses in Itogon town in Benguet province.
At least 65 people are confirmed to have died in the Philippines since Mangkhut made landfall on Saturday with the equivalent strength of a category five Atlantic hurricane.
Another four deaths have been reported in China as winds of up to 125mph and storm surges as high as 10ft hit Guangdong province. More than 2.4 million were evacuated as the typhoon moved on to southern China and densely populated Hong Kong, smashing windows and forcing the cancellation of 889 flights.
This is the rescue site, down along mountain path, at Itogon. One worker told me they are not expecting to find anyone alive at this point and estimate 50+ deaths. Sniffer dogs looking. pic.twitter.com/KLGvScWZpm
— Tom Cheshire (@chesh) September 17, 2018
About 87,000 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas of the Philippines, where they were advised not to return home until the danger had passed.
On the other hand, Hong Kong’s hospital authority reported that 213 people had sought medical treatment as a result of the typhoon. Transport services on Hong Kong Island have been suspended, as have ferries to mainland China. China has issued a red weather alert, the most severe warning, as forecasters said the region would face a “severe test caused by wind and rain” and urged officials to prepare for possible disasters.
-Sky News
