Typhoon Phanfone, with winds of 195 kilometres (120 miles) an hour, tore roofs off houses and toppled electric posts as it cut across the Philippines on Wednesday. But at least 16 people had been confirmed killed in villages and towns in the Visayas, the central third of the Philippines, according to disaster agency officials. Phanfone also hit Boracay, Coron and other holiday destinations that are famed for their white-sand beaches and popular with foreign tourists. Among those killed Phanfone was a police officer who was electrocuted by a toppled electric post while patrolling. The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific typhoon belt and is hit by an average of about 20 major storms a year.

Source: The Guardian December 26, 2019 04:41 UTC