Mangkhut Triggers Landslides
The super typhoon Mangkhut that slammed into northern Philippine province on the weekend has left a path of destruction and triggered landslides due to heavy rains.
A deadly landslide in the northern town of Itogon in Benguet buried a gold miner’s bunker house, resulting in the death of more than 50 people, including children.
The local authorities issued warnings on leaving the area prior to the tragedy but the miners and their families ignored the call.
Emergency workers dug through the mud using shovels and their bare hands. Heavy machinery was unable to operate since the ground is too wet.
Some 300 police, soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers, armed mostly with hand tools, worked collaboratively to clear the areas and search for survivors.
Typhoon Mangkhut is one of the most powerful storms to hit the region in decades.
It made landfall on the Chinese coast near Jiangmen city on Sunday afternoon.
Mangkhut’s Destruction
Before typhoon Mangkhut made landfall in the Philippines, the government issued countless warnings throughout the country. They urged all Filipinos to be vigilant, especially those living in the northern part of the country.
However, the force of nature and the power of typhoon Mangkhut was unfathomable. When it slammed the northern part of the country, it ripped forests to shreds and felled electricity poles. Agricultural areas flattened and authorities expect huge losses in agricultural yield. The government estimated an agricultural loss of $US177 million ($247 million).
The Philippine government estimated 5.7 million people nationwide had been affected by the storm. More than 60 people were killed due to Mangkhut and most of the victims were the miners in Benguet.
Typhoon in the Philippines
Deadly typhoons such as Mangkhut are not new in the country. In fact, in November 2013, a super typhoon hit the Philippines, killing over one hundred people and leaving a trail of devastation.
Typhoon “Yolanda” or internationally known as “Haiyan” sustained winds of up to 320 km/h (199mph).
The storm destroyed buildings, caused floods and triggered landslides in the country’s central islands.
Haiyan slammed the provinces of Leyte and Samar, killing hundreds of civilians.
In addition, in December 2011, monster typhoon ‘Sendong’ battered Cagayan de Oro, a city in northern Mindanao, killing more than a thousand people.
