Daily US Times: Typhoon Goni, the most powerful storm to hit the country since Typhoon Haiyan, is barrelling across the Philippines, bringing with it “catastrophic” winds and rain.
At least 10 people have died so far amid reports of flash floods, storm surges, power outages and blown-off roofs.
On Sunday, Goni made landfall as a super typhoon at Catanduanes island at 04:50 local time (19:50 GMT Saturday) packing winds of 225km/h.
The typhoon has since weakened, but is still wreaking damage across the main Luzon island, home to the capital Manila.
Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines, is monitoring the disaster response from his home in Davao city, a presidential spokesman said.
Mark Timbal of the Philippines’ national disaster agency said that 19 million people may have been affected by the path of the typhoon.
He said: “This 19 million already includes the populations in danger zones for landslides, flooding, storm surges and even a lava flow.”
In the Philipines, Goni is the most powerful storm since Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people in 2013.
There is concern for Virac, a small town on Catanduanes island, home to some 70,000, where contact has been lost since Goni made landfall.
Video footage showed roofs torn off evacuation centres, flash flooding, blocked roads, storm surges through coastal towns, and local governors spoke of power supply outages and damage to infrastructure.
Seven people are reported to have died. A five-year-old child in Albay province in among the deads. Two drowned, another was swept away by volcanic mud and another killed by a falling tree.
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