The destructive winds and heavy rains of Typhoon “Ursula” (international name: Phanfone) brought down flimsy homes and destroyed commercial buildings mainly in the Visayas, affecting more than two million people. ADVERTISEMENTAt least 80,000 still remain in emergency shelters and might have to stay until the New Year, given the scale of destruction. The death toll up from 41 on Sunday included three sailors who died after their vessel capsized, a policeman electrocuted by a toppled post and a man struck by a falling tree. The number of fatalities due to the typhoon, considered the worst to hit Western Visayas after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013, rose to 26, including 16 in Iloilo and five each in Capiz and Aklan. Iloilo and Capiz provinces are among the top producers of rice while Capiz is considered the “seafood capital” of the country.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 31, 2019 21:33 UTC