Hurricane Fanfon kills 16 people in the Philippines

Arab Weather - At least 16 people were killed by the typhoon that swept through the center of the country to coincide with Christmas, officials of the disaster response agency said on Thursday.

Typhoon Fanfon struck the Philippines late on Tuesday evening, with winds of up to 120 km per hour, storms of 150 km per hour, heavy rain and floods.

The wind reached a speed of 195 kilometers per hour, and on Wednesday it tore down the roofs of houses and uprooted electricity poles in several parts of the Philippines.

The authorities evacuated more than 58,000 from their homes before the hurricane, which caused extensive damage to property, and suspended more than 15,000 in ports after the suspension of ferry flights, and dozens of flights were canceled, according to "Reuters".

The disaster response agency reported that the deaths occurred in the provinces of Capiz, Iloilo and Leyte.

The Philippines has an average of about 20 typhoons each year, and storms have increased in intensity in the past few years.