Typhoon Rammasun claims 12 lives in Philippines, millions evacuated

Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the country in November last year, had killed more than 6,000

 
By Vani Manocha
Published: Wednesday 16 July 2014

A coastal area has turned into a sea of debris after Typhoon Haiyan struck Philippines last year (Photo by ILO on Flickr)

Typhoon Rammasun, also known as Typhoon Glena killed at least 12 people as it hit Philippines on Wednesday.  The winds shut down the capital city of Manila and led to power cuts.

According to reports, as many as 3.7 million people have been evacuated from high-risk villages and shifted to emergency shelters in six provinces. Typhoon Rammasun, the strongest storm to hit the country this year, passed to the south of Manila on Wednesday after cutting a path across the main island of Luzon. The winds of 150 kmph were enough to uproot trees, electric posts and roofs.

Richard Gordon, chairperson of the Philippine National Red Cross, said the capital sustained minimal damage but rescue workers were trying to free people trapped under fallen debris in Batangas City to the south. "We have not received reports of major flooding in Metro Manila because the typhoon did not bring rain, but the winds were strong," Gordon said, as quoted by Reuters.

Tropical Storm Risk, an agency that monitors severe weather worldwide, ranked Rammasun as a category-two storm on a scale of one to five as it moves west into the South China Sea.

Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the country in November last year, killed more than 6,000 people and was said to be one of the worst storms on record.
 

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