Philippines: Typhoon Doksuri leaves 39 dead

By Kathleen Magramo, CNN

Hong Kong (CNN) — Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in China’s southeastern coast on Friday, state weather agencies said, after the storm battered parts of the Philippines and killed at least 39 people, including dozens on an overcrowded boat that capsized in strong winds.

The typhoon slammed into the coastal county of Jinjiang in Fujian province at 9:55 a.m. local time, the National Meteorological Center said. Most of the country’s southeastern provinces can expect heavy rain through most of Friday, with rainfall projected to reach up to 11 inches (27 centimeters) in some parts of the region.

The winds around the time of landfall were approaching 175 kilometers per hour (108 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center but the storm’s interaction with land has likely lowered the wind speeds slightly.

Nearby Taiwan is still facing heavy rains from the storm, however the island’s weather agency removed its highest rainfall warning on Friday morning.

Doksuri lashed through the Philippines’ most populous island of Luzon earlier in the week, with the north of the archipelago most heavily affected by the powerful storm.

At least 26 people died after a boat capsized on Thursday afternoon just yards from reaching Talim Island, southeast of the capital Manila, the coastguard said.

The vessel – only meant to have a capacity of 42 – had at least 66 people on board, according to the coast guard.

“Definitely we are going to file a complaint together with the PNP (Philippine National Police) against the captain and the operator of the motorboat,” coast guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Armand Balilo told CNN affiliate CNN Philippines.

Another 13 people were killed elsewhere in the country from Typhoon Doksuri, known as Egay in the Philippines, the the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday.

The storm brought floods to five regions and triggered more than a dozen rain-induced landslides, the agency added.

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