Typhoon Goni Sweeps Through Philippines, At least Seven Dead

At least seven people perished this Sunday in the Philippines which was swept by Typhoon Goni, the most powerful of the year, the authorities reporting “catastrophic” conditions in some areas, after evacuating nearly 400,000 inhabitants.

The storm made landfall on the island of Catanduanes on Sunday around 5 a.m. (9 p.m. GMT Saturday), accompanied by winds of 225 km/h and gusts measured at 310 km/h which tore up roofs, trees and caused flash floods and landslides that have engulfed entire houses.

Heavy To Torrential Rains

Initially classified in the category of “super-typhoons”, Goni was demoted while evolving on the island of Luzon towards Manila, according to the national meteorological agency.

“Winds of catastrophic violence and intense to torrential rains” are to be expected over the next 12 hours in the regions on the path of the typhoon, and in particular in the provinces near the capital, she warned on Saturday.

22 Dead A Week Ago

Goni arrives a week after Molave, which affected the same region, killing 22 people and flooding a large agricultural region before continuing on its way to Vietnam.

At least seven people, including a five-year-old child, were killed in the province of Albay, its governor Alfrancis Bichara announced on local radio. Several of the victims were buried under volcanic mudslides that engulfed two villages near the active volcano Mayon.

Countless Damage

“The winds are strong. You can hear the trees shaken by the wind, ”Francia Mae Borras, 21, told AFP from her house on the coast in Legazpi, in the province of Albay.

The roofs of two evacuation centers were blown away and their occupants moved to the ground floor, regional security official Cedric Daep said on a radio. “Our villages have been inundated by flash floods,” said Carlos Irwin Baldo, mayor of Camalig, near Legazpi.

“The roads are littered with debris from the mountains, branches and sand, some from the Mayon volcano. Some roads are impassable, ”he added.

Airport Closed

Civil protection chief Ricardo Jalad said nearly 400,000 people were evacuated.

In Manila, residents of some slums in low-lying areas have been evacuated due to the threat of flooding and the capital’s airport has been closed.

The Council for the Prevention of Natural Disasters has issued a warning message that residents have received on their mobile phones, advancing against “destructive winds” to be feared in the capital and neighboring provinces.

The Pandemic Further Complicates The Management Of The Natural Disaster

Thousands of soldiers have been placed on alert to help with evacuations. Schools, which have been closed since the onset of the pandemic, are used as shelters, as are gymnasiums.

Coronavirus patients who were being treated in tents were also evacuated. The archipelago officially totals more than 378,000 cases of contamination and 7,100 deaths are attributed to Covid-19. The pandemic is complicating the situation since many emergency resources are mobilized against the coronavirus.

Another Typhoon In The Making

Several hundred people were stranded after the coast guard ordered ferries and fishing boats to stay at the dock, with waves reaching up to 16 meters high at sea.

Goni is expected to weaken “considerably” as it crosses Luzon before reaching the South China Sea on Monday morning, according to meteorological services. But another typhoon is building in the Pacific and is also expected to hit the archipelago.