At least 33 people have been killed in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, with «alarming» reports of destruction on islands that bore the brunt of the storm.
At least 33 people were killed in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, official tallies showed on Saturday, with a charity reporting «alarming» destruction on islands that bore the brunt of the storm. The latest figures come after a disaster official in the central province of Negros Occidental confirmed 13 people had died, most by drowning, and that another 50 were missing in a flood-hit area. «We started urging people to evacuate as early as Wednesday but many were reluctant to leave,» Salvador Mesa told AFP. More than 18 000 military, police, coast guard and fire personnel will join search and rescue efforts in the worst-affected regions, Mark Timbal, spokesman for the national disaster agency, told AFP. «There has been severe damage» on Siargao island and the northern tip of the southern island of Mindanao, Timbal said, referring to areas that took the full force of the typhoon as it slammed into the country.
