Strong typhoon slams into pandemic-hit Philippines
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A strong typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines today after authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people while trying to avoid the virus risks of overcrowding emergency shelters.
The first typhoon to hit the country this year rapidly gained force as it blew from the Pacific then barged ashore in San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar province around noon, weather agency administrator Vicente Malano said.
The typhoon came as the Philippines is trying to fight COVID-19 outbreaks largely by locking Filipinos in their homes and prohibiting gatherings that can set off infections.
More than 11,600 infections, including 772 deaths, have been reported in the country.
Typhoon Vongfong, which was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), was forecast to blow northwestward and barrel across densely populated eastern provinces and cities before exiting in the north Sunday.
Overcrowding in emergency shelters is a common scene in the archipelago hit by about 20 typhoons and storms annually and regularly experiencing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
Source: The Mining Journal