The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Mangkhut has climbed to 81 and could hit triple digits as searchers dig through a landslide where dozens are presumed dead, authorities said Wednesday.

Mangkhut swamped farm fields in the nation's agricultural north and smashed houses when it tore through at the weekend with violent winds and heavy rains.

Since then the toll has climbed mostly due to the corpses recovered from the massive landslide in the mining town of Itogon where dozens are still believed buried under the mud.

"From the list I saw 59 people are still missing (at Itogon)," Ricardo Jalad, civil defence chief, told AFP. "If you add that to those already recovered it's possible the toll could top 100."

The typhoon, the most powerful to strike this year, also battered Hong Kong and killed four in China's southern province of Guangdong.

Searchers at Itogon continued their grim work on Wednesday, digging with shovels and their bare hands in the vast expanse of mud that crushed dwellings used by small-scale miners.

The area was primed for disaster before Mangkhut hit, as it came on the heels of nearly a month of continuous monsoon rains that saturated the soil of the already hazardous area.

Of the hundreds digging through the debris, many were miners themselves who were looking for friends and relatives, determined to make sure they received a proper burial.

The Philippines's deadliest storm on record is Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in November 2013.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Hongkongers battle debris to get to work after devastating typhoon
Hong Kong (AFP) Sept 17, 2018
Hong Kong commuters clambered over fallen trees and piles of debris Monday in a battle to get to work, as the workaholic city strove to get back to business after a devastating typhoon. Commuters crammed into stations to try to board infrequent trains after the rail system was slowed by damaged power lines. All buses were cancelled because many roads were blocked by falling trees. Some residents tackled an obstacle course to get to their jobs, climbing over broken branches, uprooted trees and ev ... read more