Typhoon Phanfone Killed 16 in Central Philippines

Central Philippines is not having a happy Christmas due to Typhoon Phanfone: Many parts of central Philippines were lashed by Typhoon Phanfone that killed a minimum of 16 people. The worst part is it hit the Visayas region considered to be with majority Catholic people.  It caused havoc to their Christmas plans to make even their normal life miserable.

Category 1 Typhoon Phanfone made its first landfall on Tuesday, December 24, in Eastern Samar province. Locally known as Typhoon Ursula, it picked wind speeds of 150 km or 83 miles per hour with gusts of 195 km or 121 miles per hour to lash the central Philippines on Christmas day. 

Though it was previously reported that there were 21 deaths, it is now revised to 16 as the agencies are revising the cause of deaths. Two of them were electrocuted, and one killed by a falling tree. It is because Typhoon Phanfone uprooted electricity posts, trees, and many houses also.

Ben Evardone, the Governor of Eastern Samar in a statement, said that around 2,351 people were affected, and 1,654 of them have taken refuge in evacuation centers. Also, 58,400 Philippines people were evacuated before the hit of Typhoon Phanfone, said NDRRMC, which is the Philippines national disaster agency.

It also noted that there are power outages in 87 cities. The full extent of the damage is yet to be officially announced as the communication has been cut off in several areas. Many flights have been canceled, and there is water logging in many areas of the central Philippines.

Typhoon Phanfone was similar to the previous Typhoon Haiyan, which was one of the strongest storms on record in the Philippines. But Typhoon Phanfone effects were reduced by the evacuation not to repeat the previous loss of more than 6000 people dead during Typhoon Haiyan. But Typhoon Phanfone spoiled the Christmas celebrations of the Catholics and rendered many homeless also.