A typhoon that lashed the central Philippines on Christmas Day has killed at least 21 people and caused damage to homes and tourist areas. Typhoon Phanfone, known locally as Typhoon Ursula, first landed on Eastern Samar on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain and storm. Phanfone continued to sweep west across the islands of the Eastern Visayas region, southern Luzon and Western Visayas on Wednesday, breaking electricity poles and trees, tearing off roofs, damaging homes and causing widespread travel disruption over the busy Christmas period.
On Thursday, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 13 people had died in the Western Visayas region, while the Office of Civil Defense said eight had died in Eastern Visayas. Two of the victims were hit by a falling mango tree, officials said. One of the victims, 70-year-old Carlos Yu Beltran, drowned when his house was swept away in a storm surge in Balangkayan town on Sama. Five fishermen from Samar Island were also missing. "Let's hope and pray that they are safe," Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone said in a statement.
Around 2,351 people have been affected by the typhoon and 1,654 people were taking refuge in evacuation center. A total of 58,400 people were evacuated ahead of the typhoon. The agency said 87 cities experienced power failure, and by Thursday, 24 of those have had power restored.
Phanfone followed a similar path to the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which was one of the most powerful storms on record and killed at least 6,000 people. The full extent of the damage is yet to be determined as power and communications in several areas remain cut off. Some tourist areas, including the popular resort island of Boracay, were also damaged on Wednesday. The nearby Kalibo International Airport was closed and flights canceled after the typhoon damaged the roof of the building.
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