Death toll of typhoon "Hagupit" increased to 27

The death toll of Typhoon “Hagupit” increased to 27 Monday, as the storm approaches to the Philippine capital, Manila.

The 27 people died in the island of Samar, the third largest island in the country located in central Philippines, where the storm first made landfall, the Red Cross informed.

Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross said Monday, “We now have a total 27 dead, most of them in Borongan, Eastern Samar.”

#Filipinas: Paso del tifón #Hagupit deja al menos 27 muertos http://t.co/OAwc3k60Ip pic.twitter.com/p4o5kTG6XG

— Mundo El Comercio (@Mundo_ECpe) diciembre 8, 2014

He also informed that most of the deceased drowned in floods, and that 2,500 houses were razed or partially damaged in the city of Borongan. 

The typhoon made Sunday a second landfall in the city of Dolores, in Eastern Samar Island, but there are not official reports of casualties yet. Arnalyn Bula, resident of Dolores, said to Reuters, “Our kitchen was wrecked. Around us, our neighbors’ homes were flattened like folded paper.”

#Hagupit - Destroyed houses and trees are seen along a road in Mantang, Philippines by Vincent Go #AFP pic.twitter.com/GtcrEVJY9T

— Frédérique Geffard (@fgeffardAFP) diciembre 8, 2014

Dolores Police Senior Inspector, Alex Robin reported through telephone Saturday, before Hagupit made landfall, “There are many trees that have toppled, some of them on the highway. We are totally in dark here. The only light comes from flashlights.”

Emiliana Villacarillo, Dolores Mayor informed that 100 percent of rice crops were flooded. Proceso Alcala, Farm Minister estimated the damages on crops and farm infrastructure at US$22 million.

Currently the storm is approaching to the main island Luzon, where is located the Philippine capital city, Manila with 12 million people. Although, the Philippine weather bureau downgraded the category 3 typhoon to a tropical storm.

Typhoon #Hagupit looked incredibly powerful- thankfully it looks like it's dissipating pic.twitter.com/6LzQL5vjU7

— Terry W. Virts (@AstroTerry) diciembre 7, 2014