Philippines: Powerful typhoon forces evacuation of 1.2 million people

A powerful typhoon swept through the central Philippines on Sunday, with storm winds uprooting trees and cutting off power and communications, US media report.

More than a million people fled to shelters away from coastal areas and landslide-prone villages, as Typhoon Hagupit made landfall in what the UN described as one of the world's largest peacetime evacuations, Reuters reports.  

Hagupit, which earlier reached category five "super typhoon" status while crossing the Pacific Ocean, weakened to category two on Sunday as it made landfall for the second time in the town of Cataingan on the southern island of Masbate. 

- We are now experiencing strong winds and heavy rain. I urge everyone to stay indoors and move to higher ground, hoping we can avoid casualties - said Wilton Co, mayor of Cataingan.