At least two people have died in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Fung-wong battered central and eastern regions, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds that knocked out electricity across much of the Bicol region ahead of its anticipated landfall in northern Luzon.
More than a million people have been evacuated from high-risk areas as Fung-wong, locally known as Uwan, approaches Aurora province, where it is expected to make landfall as early as Sunday night. Authorities reported sustained winds of 185 kilometres per hour (115 mph) and gusts reaching 230 kph (140 mph), already pummelling parts of Luzon.
The Philippines’ weather bureau, PAGASA, placed several areas under the highest storm warning levels, while Metro Manila and nearby provinces remain at level three. As a precaution, the civil aviation regulator has suspended operations at several airports, including Bicol International and Sangley in Metro Manila.
The civil defence office said one person drowned in Catanduanes, while firefighters in Catbalogan City recovered the body of a woman trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed house.
Fung-wong is the 21st tropical cyclone to strike the country this year, a nation that typically experiences around 20 annually. The storm threatens to add pressure to already strained disaster response efforts as the country continues to recover from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left 224 dead in the Philippines and five in Vietnam.
According to PAGASA, Fung-wong will move northwest from Monday before turning north towards the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, maintaining typhoon strength before weakening as it makes landfall in western Taiwan on Thursday. It is forecast to lose intensity rapidly as it drifts towards Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro urged residents to follow evacuation orders, warning that refusal to comply endangers both civilians and rescuers. “We ask people to pre-emptively evacuate so we do not have to carry out last-minute rescues, which could put police, soldiers, firefighters, and coast guard personnel at risk,” he said.
Authorities said they hope to prevent further casualties this time. Around 2,000 troops have been redeployed from training exercises to support humanitarian and disaster relief efforts.
In Isabela, northern Luzon, dozens of families sought shelter in an evacuation centre set up in a basketball court. “We heard on the news that the typhoon was very strong, so we left early,” said Christopher Sanchez, 50, who fled with his family. “We live next to the river, and in past storms the floodwaters rose above our heads. We’re scared — we came here with our children and grandchildren; the whole family is in the evacuation area.”
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