Manila: At least 16 people were killed as Typhoon Goni lashed the Philippines over the weekend, and about 13,000 shanties and houses were damaged or swept away in the eastern island province that was first hit by the ferocious storm, officials said Monday.
Goni blasted into Catanduanes province at dawn Sunday as a super typhoon with sustained winds of 225 kilometers (140 miles) per hour and gusts of 280 kph (174 mph).
But the storm weakened considerably after making landfall and shifted direction to spare the capital, Manila, before blowing out into the South China Sea. (AP)
