Philippines struggles to recover from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll reaches 18
Rescuers in the Philippines began clearing debris and floodwaters on Tuesday after Typhoon Fung-wong devastated large parts of the country, with the death toll rising to 18.
Emergency teams, using backhoes and chainsaws, worked to reach flooded villages as waters began to recede across the affected regions, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Fung-wong, which displaced 1.4 million people, had weakened into a severe tropical storm by the time it moved toward Taiwan, where it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday. This marks the second major typhoon to strike the Philippines in just days, following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left 232 dead across the central islands.
In Isabela province, a town with 6,000 residents remained cut off from aid, while other areas, including parts of Nueva Vizcaya province, also faced isolation due to landslides blocking rescue efforts. Cagayan Valley's spokesman, Alvin Ayson, stated that getting to these areas has been a major struggle for rescuers.
As the country deals with the aftermath of both storms, the ongoing recovery efforts are focusing on reaching those trapped in remote locations and providing vital aid.
Others were "now in evacuation centres, but when they get back to their homes, their rebuilding will take time and face challenges."
He added that a 10-year-old boy in Nueva Vizcaya had been killed by one of the landslides.
The child was among 18 deaths recorded in a new death toll released Tuesday by national civil defence deputy administrator Rafaelito Alejandro.
In hardest-hit Catanduanes island, issues with the water supply could take up to 20 days to fix, he said.
Schools and offices were closed on Tuesday in multiple counties in Taiwan as the approaching storm intensified the northeast monsoon, triggering heavy rain.
Up to 400 millimetres (nearly 16 inches) of rain is expected over the next 24 hours, government and weather officials there said.
President Lai Ching-te urged people to avoid mountainous areas, beaches and "other dangerous locations" to "get through this period safely".
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