Residents of the Philippines are reeling from yet another typhoon that left at least four people dead as it barreled through the northern part of the country Tuesday with wind gusts of up to 230 kilometers per hour and heavy rains.
Before heading west over the South China Sea, Yutu triggered landslides that blocked highways on the main island of Luzon. Reports say roads blocked by collapsed earth engulfed a local government building under construction in the Mountain province, trapping more than 20 people.
Among those trapped were public highway contractors, security guards and others who sought shelter, according to the civil defense leader in the Cordilleras, a landlocked area on Luzon. Yutu is the 18th typhoon to strike the Philippines this year.
Thousands of people were evacuated before the arrival of the storm.
On the night of October 24, Yutu was classified as a super typhoon as it made a direct hit on Saipan and Tinian, two islands of the Northern Marianas, a U.S. territory about 9,000 kilometers west of the U.S. mainland. The storm knocked out power, destroyed homes and delayed elections.
The super typhoon was the strongest storm to strike the islands in 50 years. Yutu weakened substantially as it made its way over the Philippines, but weather forecasters said they expected it to regain strength over the South China Sea.
In September, a super typhoon, Mangkhut, dumped massive rains on Luzon, triggering landslides that killed more than 70 people.
