(VOVworld)- Typhoon Melor has hit the Philippines, killing at least 14 people and forcing thousands to flee. The disaster also caused significant damage in several of the country’s provinces. The new death toll was reported by The Standard on Wednesday.
Typhoon Melor entered the East Sea on early December 16 (Photo:VNA) |
The number of victims previously stood at 5. Thousands of people were evacuated from the disaster zone, with authorities ordering the evacuation of about 720,000 people in the Bicol region alone. Thousands of passengers have been stranded in ports and airports, as dozens of flights were cancelled and hundreds of ships were forced to stay in port. The typhoon also caused severe damage in several provinces where most houses built of light materials were unroofed or destroyed. Electricity supplies were also disrupted, and rice and corn crops may suffer heavy losses, Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reports.
Typhoon Melor entered the East Sea on Wednesday to become the fifth storm hitting Vietnam so far this year, after traversing the central Philippines, said the National Centre for Hydrometereological Forecasting. At 8am, typhoon Melor’s centre was about 680km east-northeast of Song Tu Tay island of Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago. Wind is forecast to move southwest at a speed of 5-10 km per hour in the next 24 hours. The Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control on December 15 asked authorities of coastal localities from central Da Nang city to southern Ca Mau province, and relevant ministries to brace for tropical storm Melor.