Typhoon heads towards Philippine capital, leaves at least 10 dead
Typhoon Hagupit weakened as it moved towards the Philippine capital Monday after killing at least 10 people and displacing more than 1 million people in the eastern and central provinces.
Hagupit slammed into the country's eastern coast Saturday evening, bringing heavy rains and gale-force winds that flattened homes, ripped off roofs, and knocked out power and communications.
But the typhoon has gradually weakened as it crossed the central Philippines and was packing maximum winds of 120 kilometres per hour(kph) and gusts of up to 150 kph, the weather bureau said.
Hagupit's diametre has also shrunk to 450 kilometres and its advance slowed down to 10 kph, which would bring more rains over the affected areas, including Manila where school classes and government offices have been suspended.
The weather bureau warned that the capital and surrounding areas would be battered by strong winds and heavy rains Monday and Tuesday.
Trading at the stock exchange and financial markets was also suspended in Manila, while more than 100 domestic and international flights to and from the capital were suspended, authorities said.
Hagupit was the strongest cyclone to hit the Philippines since supertyphoon Haiyan devastated central and eastern provinces in November 2013, leaving more than 7,300 dead or missing and displacing over 4million.
Mass deaths were avoided this time around after authorities ordered evacuations days before Hagupit, a Filipino word for lash or whip, made landfall.
"The people were saved from danger because of our pre-emptive evacuations," said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
"This shows that with preparedness, we can keep the people out of harm's way."
Among the 10 dead were three people who died from hypothermia in the central province of Iloilo, a couple and a toddler struck by falling trees in Taft town and Calbayog City on Samar Island, civil defence and local officials said.
A 14-year-old boy died from electrocution after touching a live wire from a toppled transmission post and a man succumbed from hypothermia in the central province of Cebu.
Two people were killed in the towns of Hernani and Dolores in Eastern Samar, but no details were available yet on how they died.
Millions of people were without electricity since Friday, when distributors cut off supply because of strong winds. Many electric posts were also toppled, said Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla.
Thousands of houses were destroyed in the eastern and central Philippines, including Tacloban City, the worst hit by Haiyan, where roofs and walls of newly-built shelters were ripped by Hagupit's winds.
