Typhoon kills two in the Philippines, as rising floodwaters cause alarm
Slow moving Typhhon Koppu leaves two dead and causes floodwaters to continue rising
Typhoon Koppu has killed two people and left thousands displaced in the Philippines
A slow moving typhoon in the Philippines, had caused the death of at least two people and forced over 16,000 people from their homes.
Typhoon Koppu, has caused floodwaters to continue rising, and alarmed dozens of villages, with troops being deployed to help residents trapped on rooftops, according to international reports.
A fallen tree killed a teenager in Manila and left four others injured, while a 62-year-old woman was killed when a concrete wall collapsed in Subic town, northwest of Manila, local reports say.
The BBC reports that despite weakening, the typhoon is expected to stay over the country - and keep dumping rain - until Wednesday at least. The typhoon also caused a landfall near the town of Casiguran on the island of Luzon on Sunday morning, bringing winds of close to 200km/h and cutting power to vast areas.
Rising floodwaters are reportedly preventing even military vehicles reaching many of the worst-hit villages and rescuers report a shortage of boats.
The Philippines is no stranger to typhoons, with 2013’s Typhoon Haiyan causing major destruction and leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing in the country. However, the slow-moving nature of Koppu, means heavy rain will fall for longer than usual, bringing greater risk of flooding and landslides, according to the BBC.
The typhoon is forecast to head towards Taiwan after leaving the north of the main island of Luzon on Wednesday.
