Giant Typhoon Mangkhut Causes Big Grief and Millions of Loss

Shengzhen, MINA – Mangkhut’s monster storm hit several countries in Southeast and East Asia on Saturday which left a very significant trail of death, destruction, and loss.

The affected countries include Hong Kong, China, Macau, and the Philippines.

“Economic losses in Hong Kong and throughout China can reach 50 billion dollars while the Philippines lose 16 billion to 20 billion dollars and it may increase again,” said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler from Enki Research in the United States.

However, these losses could increase again to at least 100 billion dollars after the damage was fully analyzed further, reported by Asia Times, Monday.

Reportedly, at least 65 people died and more than 3.1 million people were evacuated.

The storm destroyed forests, toppled electricity poles, destroyed cities and damaged important rice plants. On Monday, emergency workers evacuated 43 bodies from landslides in the remote northern city of Itogon, Philippines.

Meanwhile, 391 people were reported injured by falling debris when the wind hit the city, cutting hundreds of trees and causing deep flooding in low-lying areas such as Hang Fa Chuen and Siu Sai Wan.

Several major airlines in China and Hong Kong were also forced to cancel their flights on Sunday. Hong Kong International Airport experienced travel disruptions with nearly 900 flights suspended or canceled.

The United Nations Disaster Management and Coordination System have estimated that 43.4 million people will be affected by the Mangkhut storm if the hurricane does not disappear quickly. (T/SJ/RS5)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)