Deadly landslides in Typhoon Bavi's wake

 

TT-AFP

 

Published 11:37

  

Waves off the northern coast of Taiwan, whipped up by Typhoon Bavi on Thursday. Photo: Taijing Wu/AP/TT

At least 15 people have died in the Philippines, where landslides triggered by Typhoon Bavi's heavy rains.

More than 2,000 people have been evacuated in Taiwan.

Bavi has been described as the worst typhoon in decades. The storm is expected to ravage eastern and northern Taiwan and some Japanese islands on Friday - and over the weekend to move into China.

The typhoon whips up waves several meters high and brings torrential rain. The heavy rains have triggered two major landslides on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, where at least 15 people have died and six are missing, according to local authorities.

In the Taiwanese port city of Keelung, residents are reported to have stockpiled supplies and taped windows.

“They say it will be huge, it’s scary,” shop owner Chang Shih-Huo in Keelung told AFP about the typhoon.

“We have stockpiled instant noodles and bread.”