Typhoon Yagi claims 16 lives in Philippines

As of Wednesday, the death toll from floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi in the Philippines has risen to 16, with 21 individuals reported missing, according to the national disaster agency and police.

The disaster management agency reported that 15 people sustained injuries and over 1.7 million people have been impacted by the severe weather across 26 provinces and the capital city of Metro Manila since the weekend. Floodwaters, some reaching up to chest-deep, have displaced 106,834 residents.

Nine of the fatalities occurred in Rizal province, located just east of Manila, due to flash floods and landslides. Additionally, five victims drowned in the floods, while one person died from electrocution in the cities of Cebu and Naga and in the provinces of Negros Occidental and Northern Samar.

The disaster agency noted that around 50 areas remain inundated, particularly in the Eastern Visayas region.

Typhoon Yagi, which has now intensified, is reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre to have maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching up to 157 kilometers per hour. The typhoon has exited the Philippines and is forecast to impact Hong Kong before making landfall in southern China over the weekend. It is also expected to move towards northern Vietnam and bring rainfall to the northern and northeastern regions of Thailand.