Twelve Dead In Philippine Typhoon

A major typhoon roared into the Philippines, leaving a dozen dead in its wake.

Typhoon Ramassun struck land with sustained winds of 93 miles per hour with gusts that topped 115 miles per hour.  The storm knocked out power to most of the nation, flattened buildings and brought massive flooding to areas outside the nation’s capital, Manila.

Government officials said that the death toll is likely to rise because hundreds are missing in the wake of the storm.  A family of four died when their home collapsed on top of them.  A woman died when she was fleeing down the street and an electric pole fell on her.

Officials say the death toll will likely be lower because after last year’s devastating Typhoon Haiyan, residents took the warnings of a typhoon much more serious than in previous storms.

The storm moved through the country and headed toward Vietnam as a weakened storm.  However, forecasters say the storm could strengthen again and cause major problems to southwest Asia.