Fung-wong Leaves 18 Dead in Philippines as 1.4 Million Flee; Storm Weakens Toward Taiwan

Overview

• The cyclone made landfall on Luzon’s east coast in Aurora on Sunday as a super typhoon with sustained winds near 185 km/h and gusts up to 230 km/h.
• Authorities now report 18 deaths, with confirmed victims from landslides and flooding as villages were inundated and rescue teams reached isolated areas in northern provinces.
• Power and infrastructure suffered heavy damage, with transmission lines down, roads blocked by landslides and dozens of cities reporting outages across Luzon and Bicol.
• Transport was severely disrupted, including at least 325 domestic and 61 international flight cancellations, port closures and about 6,600 passengers and cargo workers stranded under a coast guard sailing ban.
• President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extended the national state of calamity for a year as cleaning and relief operations continue, while Taiwan closed schools and offices in several counties and prepared targeted relocations ahead of expected torrential rain.