26-7-2023 (MANILA) Typhoon Doksuri pummeled the northern Philippines on Wednesday (Jul 26), killing at least two people, uprooting trees, and causing power outages as thousands of residents sought shelter in emergency evacuation centres. The state weather agency reported that the typhoon was slowly moving away from Dalupiri Island, which is located off the northern tip of the main island of Luzon, and into open waters. However, severe winds of up to 175km an hour and heavy rainfall have created violent and life-threatening conditions in the lightly populated region. The storm weakened as it approached the Philippines, having been a super typhoon as it swept across the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.
LOOK: Photos showing the devastation left b6 typhoon Egay in Benguet.
(Courtesy of office of Benguet Rep. Eric Go Yap) pic.twitter.com/iC1ivyBWQi
— Kim M. Badbadon (@kimmbadbadon) July 26, 2023
A woman selling bread rolls in Isabela province was killed by a falling coconut tree, while a 16-year-old boy in Baguio was crushed to death by a landslide. Widespread flooding and power outages were reported in the north of Luzon, while landslides blocked key roads in the mountainous interior. Cagayan and neighbouring Isabela provinces evacuated around 12,000 people from their homes, with warnings of three-metre storm surges. The typhoon is expected to weaken as it moves across the South China Sea, grazing Taiwan before making landfall in southeast China on Friday.
LOOK: Super Typhoon Egay caused severe damage to the Suguidan Bridge in Naguilian, La Union, as it barreled through the province, prompting local government officials to temporarily close the bridge until further notice on Wednesday, July 26.
????: Naguilian LGU/Facebook pic.twitter.com/1xCJUwFvk0
— Be An INQUIRER (@BeAnINQUIRER) July 26, 2023
The Central Weather Bureau issued warnings and heavy rain advisories in southeastern Taiwan, with high waves lashing the coast. China has also issued its highest alert for Doksuri, stopping trains and calling fishing boats to shore as the storm approaches. In the Philippines, thousands of residents sought shelter with neighbours or in emergency evacuation centres. Some evacuees have sheltered with neighbours who had concrete houses, while others were taken to municipal halls. However, the roof of the Sanchez Mira municipal hall was blown off, and the windows of an evacuation centre broke, forcing the evacuation of residents back to their villages.
