Philippines typhoon claims more than 400 lives
Saturday, 02 Dec 2006 10:46
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has been tracking Typhoon Durian
In Focus
Just as they did in southern Lebanon in the summer of 2006, the Israeli army is dominating headlines by pursuing military action against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Full Story
More than 400 people are thought to have been killed after a powerful typhoon wreaked havoc in the Philippines.
Official figures say that 208 island residents have been killed and 261 are missing, but rescuers claim that there is little hope of finding any more survivors after typhoon Durian caused massive mudslides in the mountain slopes 220 miles south of Manila.
Rescue operations have centred on Albay province in Luzon, which was most severely hit by the 155mph winds that struck in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Volcanic ash from the Mayon hillside was dislodged by the super typhoon, with boulders also tumbling onto nearby villages.
Noel Rosal, mayor of provincial town Legazpi, said: "It's terrible. We now call this place a black desert."
Already treacherous roads have been made impassable by debris, rescuers add, with thousands of people left homeless and without power as a result.
The Philippines has been struck by a number of typhoons this year and this is the fourth major storm to hit in the last four months alone.