An aerial view captures massive waves crashing onto the shores of Aparri town in Cagayan province, north of Manila. AFP File Photo
Typhoon Yinxing made landfall on the northeastern tip of the Philippines on Thursday, causing trees to be uprooted and sending building materials airborne, just weeks after another storm claimed at least 150 lives. Over 21,000 people from 200 villages in Cagayan province were evacuated prior to the mid-afternoon landfall, according to provincial disaster official Rueli Rapsing.
"Debris is flying everywhere. In Gonzaga, an entire hamburger stand was blown away, and the winds are tearing open the shop doors at the public market," Rapsing told AFP by phone from Gonzaga, a town near coastal Santa Ana. Yinxing is the third storm in less than a month to impact the Philippines, following Severe Tropical Storm Trami and Super Typhoon Kong-rey, which together resulted in 158 deaths, according to the national disaster agency, with most attributed to Trami.
With maximum sustained wind speeds of 175 km per hour and gusts up to 240 kph, the typhoon hit the coastal town of Santa Ana and surrounding areas, bringing heavy rain and causing parts of houses to be ripped off. Rapsing reported that the storm had uprooted trees, and authorities were attempting to verify reports of damage to the Santa Ana police station. No casualties were immediately reported.
The Cagayan provincial government's disaster response was coordinated from a public building in Gonzaga. Santa Ana officials could not be reached for comment. The national weather agency stated that Cagayan, home to about 1.3 million people, might face the worst of Yinxing based on its current path.
In Ilocos Norte province near Cagayan, rescuers were on standby to assist local police, fire officers, and soldiers in emergency response, according to provincial rescue official Randy Nicolas. Nicolas noted that they are closely monitoring potential landslides, floods, and river swelling in the province, with storm surges also a concern in Ilocos Norte and Cagayan.
Disaster officials in the mountainous province of Apayao reported that nearly 500 people have been evacuated. "We prioritized preemptive evacuations to achieve zero deaths in Apayao," provincial disaster official Aldrin Agmata told AFP. The state weather service predicted that Yinxing would pass along the north coast of the main island of Luzon overnight Thursday before moving into the South China Sea on Friday.
Schools in many northern areas have been suspended, and President Ferdinand Marcos has placed all government agencies on high alert for a swift response. "Remember, every life is important, so we must always be prepared," Marcos stated in a Wednesday announcement.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
