At least 200
people are now believed to have been killed in the southern Philippines by
Typhoon Bopha, and 70 per cent of the agricultural land in the area is said to
have been damaged.
Compostela Valley province, in eastern Mindanao, is the area worst hit,
where mudslides engulfed a school and a village hall being used as evacuation
centres. Among those killed or missing
are soldiers who had gone to help. Rescue
efforts are being hampered because many roads are blocked by fallen trees and
collapsed bridges.
In December last
year, Typhoon Washi killed more than 1,300 people in the Southern Philippines. Bopha is actually stronger than its deadly
predecessor, but this time people were better prepared thanks to the
media, telephone warnings, early evacuations and a special website.
The death toll has also been reduced because Bopha had slowed down a
little before it hit some particularly vulnerable areas. The deadliest ever typhoon to hit the
Philippines is believed to have been Thelma which killed up to 8,000 people in
November 1991. (See also my blogs of 28
Sept and 10 Oct, 2009; and 6 Jan 2011.)
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