MANILA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Phanfone pounded the central Philippines with heavy rains and strong winds beginning Tuesday, killing at least nine people, a government agency said on Thursday.
The Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the typhoon killed six people in Iloilo province, two in Capiz province and one in Leyte province.
The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has no number of typhoon-related deaths so far. However, it said the typhoon has affected nearly 2,400 people in 38 villages in the central Philippines and northern Mindanao region.
The NDRRMC also reported that more than 100 domestic and international flights have been cancelled due to the typhoon.
Moreover, it said that nearly 16,000 sea travelers, nearly 1,400 rolling cargoes, and 41 ferries were stranded due to the typhoon.
Typhoon Phanfone made landfall on Tuesday afternoon in Eastern Samar province. But before the typhoon hit land, local authorities started evacuating people in risky areas to safer government facilities.
The typhoon left a trail of destruction as it swept across the central Philippines and areas off the southern tip of the main Luzon island. Huge flooding was reported in many affected areas.
Phanfone is the 21st typhoon to barrel the Philippines this year.
As of 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Phanfone is headed to the South China Sea towards Vietnam.
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and Pacific typhoon belt. Landslides and flash floods are common across the Philippines during the rainy season, especially when typhoon hits.
