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WORLD NEWS Saturday 15 September 2018

Monster typhoon barrels closer to north Philippines, China

By AARON FAVILA the three southern provinc-
JOEAL CALUPITAN es of Guangdong, Guangxi
Associated Press and Hainan are coordinat-
TUGUEGARAO, Philippines ing preparations, including
(AP) — Typhoon Mang- suspending transport and
khut retained its ferocious moving people to shelter
strength, gained speed inland, the national meteo-
and shifted slightly toward rological agency reported.
more densely populated Guangdong, China's man-
coastal provinces on Friday ufacturing hub, has set up
as it barreled closer to the 3,777 shelters, while more
northeastern Philippines, than 100,000 residents and
where a massive evacua- tourists have been moved
tion was underway. to safety or sent home.
More than 5 million people The province has recalled
are at risk from the storm, more than 36,000 fishing
which the Hawaii-based boats to port, while train
Joint Typhoon Warning services between the cities
Center categorizes as a su- of Zhanjiang and Maoming
per typhoon with powerful have been suspended and
winds and gusts equivalent Workers cover windows of a hotel with sheets of plywood as Typhoon Mangkhut nears Cagayan all ferry services between
to a category 5 Atlantic province, northeastern Philippines on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Guangdong and Hainan
hurricane. Associated Press have been put on hold. Fu-
The typhoon was initially ex- jian province to the north of
pected to hit the northern casters said. They said the damage this time, although Manuel Mamba said. The Guangdong is also closing
tip of Cagayan province fast-moving typhoon has we know that this one will threat to agriculture comes beaches and tourist sites,
early Saturday, but it is now gained speed as it moves be very strong," Banez said. as the Philippines tries to the agency reported.
likely to make landfall far- northwestward at 30 kph Ninia Grace Abedes aban- cope with rice shortages. Philippine forecasters said
ther south near the middle (19 mph). doned her bamboo hut After the Philippines, the the shifting typhoon could
of the rice-producing prov- Even if the typhoon weak- and hauled her four chil- Hong Kong Observa- possibly blow toward Viet-
ince. From there, Mangkhut ens slightly after slamming dren to a school building tory predicts Mangkhut nam after it exits late Satur-
is forecast to blow across ashore, its winds will remain serving as an emergency will plow into the Chinese day or early Sunday.
the sparsely populated very destructive, Paciente shelter. The 33-year-old mainland early Monday In an emergency meeting
mountain province of Apa- said. laundrywoman said the south of Hong Kong and Thursday, President Rodrigo
yao and then over Ilocos "It can lift cars, you can't 2016 typhoon blew away north of the island prov- Duterte asked Cabinet offi-
Norte province before ex- stand, you can't even their hut, which they aban- ince of Hainan. Though it cials from the north to help
iting into the sea Saturday crawl against that wind," doned before the storm hit. is likely to weaken from a oversee disaster-response
night, state forecaster Rene Paciente said at a news "If we didn't, all of us would super typhoon to a severe work and told reporters it
Paciente said. conference in Manila. be dead," Abedes said. typhoon, it will still be pack- was too early to consider
With a huge raincloud In Cagayan's capital city More than 15,300 people ing sustained winds of 175 seeking foreign aid.
band 900 kilometers (560 of Tuguegarao, residents had been evacuated in kph (109 mph), it said. "It would depend on the se-
miles) wide, combined with braced for the typhoon's northern provinces by Fri- The observatory warned of verity of the crisis," Duterte
seasonal monsoon rains, fury by reinforcing homes day afternoon, the Office rough seas and frequent said. "If it flattens every-
the typhoon could bring and buildings and stocking of Civil Defense said. heavy squalls, urging resi- thing, maybe we need to
heavy to intense rain that up on food. Concerns over massive dents of the densely popu- have some help."
could set off landslides and "It was busy earlier in the storm surges that could be lated financial hub to "take Mangkhut, the Thai word
flash floods. Storm warnings hardware store and peo- whipped inland by the ty- suitable precautions and for mangosteen fruit, is the
have been raised in almost ple were buying wood, phoon's winds prompted pay close attention to the 15th storm this year to bat-
all the provinces across the nails, tin wire, plywood and wardens to move 143 de- latest information" on the ter the Philippines, which is
main northern island of Lu- umbrellas," said Benjamin tainees from a jail in Ca- storm. hit by about 20 a year and
zon, including the capital, Banez, who owns a three- gayan's Aparri town to The gambling enclave of is considered one of the
Manila, restricting sea and story hotel where workers nearby towns, officials said. Macau, near Hong Kong, world's most disaster-prone
air travel. were busy hammering up The typhoon is approach- suffered catastrophic countries.
Mangkhut was tracked late wooden boards to protect ing at the start of the rice flooding during Typhoon Typhoon Haiyan left more
Friday about 190 kilometers glass panels. and corn harvesting sea- Hato last August that left 10 than 7,300 people dead or
(118 miles) away in the Pa- A super typhoon wrought son in Cagayan, a major dead and led to accusa- missing, flattened entire vil-
cific with sustained winds of heavy damage to Banez's agricultural producer, and tions of corruption and in- lages, swept several ships
205 kilometers (127 miles) hotel and the rest of Ca- farmers were scrambling competence at its meteo- inland and displaced over
per hour and gusts of up gayan in 2016. "We're pray- to save what they could of rological office. 5 million in the central Phil-
to 255 kph (158 mph), fore- ing that there will be less their crops, Cagayan Gov. On the Chinese mainland, ippines in 2013.q