Philippines clears up after storm
By Maria Twink,WNS Philippines Correspondent
A massive clean-up is under way in the Philippines after the latest typhoon, which has left at least 30 dead. Typhoon Xangsane, packing winds of up to 130km/h (80 mph), pounded central and northern Philippines. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and floods have left many roads and bridges impassable. Dozens of people are still missing.
The typhoon was the strongest to hit the capital Manila in 11 years, weather officials said. Government offices and schools in Manila remained closed on Friday as emergency crews worked to fix power lines and clear fallen debris. The entire island of Luzon was without power during some parts of Thursday, but it has now been partially restored. The storm is now reported to be heading for the Vietnamese beach resort of Danang, and is expected to hit on Saturday afternoon.
Typhoon Xangsane was "one of the worst devastations that Manila has experienced," the city's Mayor, Lito Atienza, told local radio on Friday. President Gloria Arroyo held an emergency meeting with energy and civil defence officials, and ordered a speedy restoration of basic services. Some of those killed included a man who fell into a river in central Antique province, and a man hit by a falling tree in Albay province. Many other people are missing in the town of General Trias town, where an irrigation dyke collapsed, a local official told the Associated Press news agency. More than 60,000 people have reportedly been affected by the aftermath of the typhoon - landslides, floods and wind damage to agriculture and infrastructure. "We have a lot of debris on the streets. We are also having difficulty in restoring power," Defence Secretary Avelino Cruz told French news agency AFP.
posted by wnsworld @ 12:00 PM
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