Typhoon Fung-wong exited the northwestern Philippines on Monday after unleashing floods and landslides that killed at least 10 people, cut power across several provinces, and forced more than 1.4 million residents from their homes.
The storm is expected to continue moving northwest toward Taiwan, forecasters said.
Fung-wong battered northern Luzon while the country was still reeling from the deadly impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which struck a week earlier, killing at least 232 people in central provinces before sweeping into Vietnam, where five others died.
The powerful storm made landfall Sunday night in Aurora province as a super typhoon, packing sustained winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour (115 mph) and gusts reaching 230 kph (143 mph). It weakened as it crossed the country’s mountainous northern terrain and agricultural plains before moving out to the South China Sea near La Union province.
Officials reported that 10 people were killed by landslides, flash floods, electrocution, and the collapse of a house in several provinces, including Catanduanes, Eastern Samar, Nueva Vizcaya, Mountain Province, and Ifugao.
Among the victims were three children killed in two separate landslides in Nueva Vizcaya, while four others were injured. Another landslide in nearby Kalinga province killed two villagers, with two more reported missing, local authorities said.
More than 1.4 million residents sought safety in evacuation centers or with relatives before the typhoon’s landfall. Around 240,000 people remained in shelters on Tuesday.
Strong winds and heavy rains inundated at least 132 villages in northern Luzon, trapping some residents on rooftops as waters rose quickly. Over 4,100 homes were damaged, according to Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV of the Office of Civil Defense.
“Even though the typhoon has moved on, its lingering rains continue to threaten some areas in northern Luzon, including Metro Manila,” Alejandro warned. “Rescue and relief operations are ongoing.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency last Thursday in response to the devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected impact of Fung-wong, known locally as Uwan.
In the Philippines, tropical cyclones with sustained winds above 185 kph are classified as “super typhoons” to highlight their extreme intensity.
While the government has not requested international aid after Kalmaegi, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the United States and Japan have offered assistance if needed.
Schools and most government offices were ordered closed on Monday and Tuesday. More than 325 domestic and 61 international flights were canceled, and over 6,600 passengers and cargo workers were stranded in ports as the coast guard suspended sea travel due to dangerous conditions.
The Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons and storms annually, alongside frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.