Manila: The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Megi rose to 27 on Thursday after more reports of damage and casualties emerged, the government and Red Cross reported.
The typhoon slammed into the northeastern side of the main Philippine island of Luzon on Monday, ripping roofs off houses, toppling power lines and nearly destroying some coastal villages.
With wind gusts of 260 kilometres per hour, it was the strongest typhoon recorded anywhere in the world this year.
Complied data from government and Red Cross showed 27 people had been confirmed killed, mostly in the north of Luzon, up from a death toll of 19 yesterday.
The government civil defence office said more than 11,000 other people still remained in evacuation centres.
Initial estimates of the economic damage from the storm amounted to almost USD 114 million, the office said, but added that not all reports from affected areas had come in.
PTI
