At least 18 people died in Cebu Province in the Philippines on Friday as Typhoon Haiyan–also known as Typhoon Yolanda–hit a range of cities, including Medellin, Talisay City, Cebu City, and Mandaue City.
Four people died in Medellin; at least seven people died on Bantayan Island; one person died in Mandaue City; and another at least six are dead in Bogo City.
Officials in Cebu province have shut down electric service to the northern part of the province to avoid electrocutions in case power pylons are toppled, said assistant regional civil defense chief Flor Gaviola. Other areas in Cebu are also without power; the power agency VECO said it’s working on restoring power.
Home were destroyed in Barangay Manipis and Talisay City. In Daanbantayan, almost all roofs were ripped off by the storm, reported the Cebu Daily News. “Roofs are flying everywhere,” it said. The sports complex is heavily damaged. “Strong winds drag parked cars, motorcycles.”
Flash floods were reaching above the floors in some houses in Mandaue City as of 10:15 a.m., said the Philippine Information Agency.
Over 15,000 families in Cebu evacuated to almost 500 shelters, said the agency. In Cebu City alone, 2,905 families were evacuated.
At least 138 people were confirmed dead in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. But Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang told AP that agency field staff in the region estimated the toll was about 1,000. Pang, however, emphasized that it was “just an estimate.”
The typhoon–projected to be one of the most destructive storm of all time–has forced tens of thousands to evacuate across the Philippines and has already caused heavy damage in multiple areas. Winds were measured up to 195 miles per hour and gusts of up to 235 miles per hour. It made its fourth landfall over Bantayan at 10:05 a.m.
The typhoon brought “fierce winds” to northern Cebu, said the agency via Twitter. Reports indicate that many areas have begun cleaning up after the typhoon moved out of Cebu. However, the extent of the damage in many areas of Cebu outside of Cebu City is still not known as multiple areas were “cut-off” by the storm.
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Medellin, Cebu Province: 90 Percent of Houses Damaged, Devastation Everywhere
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
