3 killed as typhoon Mangkhut hits Philippines
Manila, Sep 15: At least three people died and four others were injured as typhoon Mangkhut slammed into the Philippines on Saturday, bringing ferocious gale-force winds and pounding rains, officials said.
The Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said two emergency responders died in a landslide in the Cordillera Administrative Region of Luzon Island and another girl apparently drowned in Marikina river in Metro Manila, Xinhua news agency reported.
Mangkhut, the strongest storm anywhere on the planet in 2018, made landfall in Cagayan province, on the northern tip of Luzon Island at about 1.40 a.m. (local time), with gusts as high as 325 km per hour.
After the centre of the storm passed the Philippines, Mangkhut's winds slowed enough for the typhoon to lose its "super" status, but it remained a very powerful storm system with maximum sustained winds of 215 kph, equivalent to a category 4 hurricane.
After ripping through Luzon, the typhoon headed west into the South China Sea towards Hong Kong and southern China.
Almost all buildings in the Philippines' Tuguegarao city sustained damage. Strong winds pulled off entire roofs and threw large chunks of debris into the air. Communications were down in places, said officials.
Tuguegarao airport in northern Luzon, a vital transportation hub, was also damaged, potentially complicating efforts to bring in humanitarian aid, CNN reported.
The Philippines military sent two C-130 airplanes and 10 helicopters to Cagayan province for typhoon relief and rescue efforts, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was cited as saying by Philippines News Agency.
An estimated 5.2 million people in the Philippines were within 125 km of the projected path of the typhoon, the NDRRMC said earlier. Thousands were evacuated amid warnings.
The scale of the typhoon could be felt in the Philippines capital Manila, more than 340 km from the eye of the storm, where heavy overnight rains led to widespread flooding in urban areas.
Authorities in Hong Kong urged residents to stay indoors. Weather experts said it may be the strongest tropical storm to hit the territory in decades. In nearby Macau, shops were boarded up and residents were sticking tape on their windows.
The NDRRMC warned that Mangkhut's devastating impact may be similar to that of Super Typhoon Haiyan, which led to over 7,000 deaths, disappearances and affected 16 million in November 2013.
Between 15 and 20 typhoons pass through the Philippines every year during the rainy season, which began this year on June 8.
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Finland's President Stubb kicks off 4-day visit to India; trade, innovation top agenda
New Delhi (PTI): Finnish President Alexander Stubb began a four-day visit to India on Wednesday to bolster bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas, including trade, investment and critical technology.
Stubb will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday following which the two sides are expected to firm up a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to boost cooperation in a number of sectors.
The crisis in West Asia is likely to figure prominently in the meeting.
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"The visit will further strengthen the relations between Finland and India, including in the area of trade," Stubb said before leaving for New Delhi.
The Finnish president will grace as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the Raisina Dialogue on Thursday evening.
Stubb was accorded a warm welcome at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.
"India and Finland share a warm and friendly relationship rooted in shared democratic values. President Stubb's visit will impart further energy to India-Finland relations," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media.
The Finnish president is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and business leaders.
Stubb's visit to India comes weeks after Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo travelled to New Delhi for the AI Impact Summit.
The Finnish president will also meet President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan.
Stubb will travel to Mumbai on Friday where he is scheduled to meet several business leaders. The Finnish leader will conclude his visit on Saturday.
