TUGUEGARAO, Philippines — Typhoon Mangkhut lashed the northern Philippines with destructive winds and heavy rain that set off landslides and destroyed homes on Saturday, leaving at least 12 people dead and six missing, as southern China braced for the powerful storm. Authorities were verifying the drownings of three people, including two children who reportedly died as the typhoon approached. More than 5 million people were at risk from the storm, which the Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center downgraded from a super typhoon. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan left more than 7,300 people dead or missing, flattened villages, swept ships inland and displaced more than 5 million in the central Philippines. ——Associated Press writers Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, and Gillian Wong in Beijing contributed to this report.

Source: National Post September 15, 2018 05:40 UTC