Typhoon Phanfone: Christmas storm kills at least 20 in the Philippines
The dead include a 13-year-old boy who was electrocuted, a man killed by a tree branch and another killed in a car accident.
Thursday 26 December 2019 11:30, UK
A typhoon that hit the Philippines over Christmas killed at least 20 people, officials say.
Typhoon Phanfone struck late on Tuesday, bringing winds of up to 75mph and gusts of 93mph, heavy rain and flooding.
More than 58,000 people were evacuated from their homes before the storm arrived, causing widespread property damage.
Scores of flights were cancelled, with more than 15,000 people also left stranded at ports when ferries were suspended.
The deaths occurred in the central provinces of Capiz, Iloilo and Leyte.
This included a 13-year-old boy who was electrocuted, a man killed by a tree branch and another killed in a car accident.
The typhoon left the Philippines on Wednesday night and was out over the South China Sea, moving west.
The country experiences an average of 20 typhoons a year, with the storms becoming stronger in recent years.
More than 6,000 people died and 200,000 homes were destroyed when Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest-ever storm to make landfall in the Philippines, hit the central islands of Leyte and Samar in 2013.