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Around 200 people dead after powerful tropical storm hits Philippines

Around 200 people have died after a tropical storm led to flooding and mudslides in parts of the ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

13.49 24 Dec 2017


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Around 200 people dead after p...

Around 200 people dead after powerful tropical storm hits Philippines

Newstalk
Newstalk

13.49 24 Dec 2017


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Around 200 people have died after a tropical storm led to flooding and mudslides in parts of the Philippines.

Tropical Storm Tembin - also known as Vinta - hit the country's second largest island, Mindanao, on Friday.

The most severe impacts were reported in the Lanao del Norte & Lanao del Sur provinces and Zamboanga peninsula.

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A police official in the country says the death count is likely to rise, with dozens of people still missing.

Dozens of people are still believed to be missing, while Rappler reports 60,000 people are in evacuation centres.

Emergency workers, soldiers, police and volunteers have been mobilised to search for survivors, clear debris, and restore power and communications.

Thousands were stranded as ferries were stopped from going out in rough seas and flights were cancelled.

The storm gathered strength over the Sulu Sea, bringing winds of up to 80 km/h, forecasters said.

The storm is now moving towards Vietnam.

The Philippines is hit by around 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly.

The deadliest typhoon to hit the country was Haiyan, which left 7,350 people dead and destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines in November 2013.


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