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Updated December 25th, 2019 at 16:45 IST

Philippines hit by typhoon on Christmas eve, thousands left stranded

Typhoon Phanfone has hit the central Philippines on Christmas Day. Thousands of Filipinos took shelter in the government buildings turned shuttered ports.

Reported by: Riya Baibhawi
Philippines
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Typhoon Phanfone has hit the central Philippines on Christmas Day, bringing a wet and miserable holiday season to many. Thousands were left stranded at shuttered ports or evacuation centres. Many others took shelter in rain-soaked homes as the devastating typhoon crossed from one island to another for the second day on the archipelago.

Gets hit by average 20 typhoons annually

Phanfone has toppled houses, trees and blacked-out cities in the country’s most storm-prone region. According to civil defence officials, more than 10,000 people spent their night in schools, gyms and government buildings which were hastily converted into evacuation centres as the typhoon made landfall on Tuesday. Scores of flights to the region remained cancelled, though the capital Manila, on the northern edge, was spared. The coast guard said that more than 25,000 people who were trying to get home for the traditional Christmas Eve midnight dinner remained stranded at ports on Christmas Day with ferry services closed.

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A local resident, Ailyn Metran and her four-year child spent their Christmas Eve at the local state weather service office where her husband worked. Describing her horrific experience she said that the typhoon was frightening. The glass windows shattered and they had to take cover under the stairs. The family returned to their home in Tacloban city today morning. Though they found their two dogs safe,  the floor was covered in mud and there was a fallen tree on their house

Read: Powerful Typhoon Leaves At Least 4 Dead In Philippines

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The weather office reported that the typhoon strengthened slightly overnight on Tuesday and was gusting at 195kmh, a velocity that can knock down small trees and destroy houses made of light materials. More nearby islands lay in Phanfone’s projected path towards the South China Sea. The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific cyclone belt and gets hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year. A study by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank found the most frequent storms cut 1% from the Philippine economic output and the stronger ones by nearly 3%.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Published December 25th, 2019 at 16:45 IST

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