Typhoon Mangkhut weakens to tropical storm: Toll in Philippines rises to 65; Hong Kong begins massive clean-up

Mangkhut weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm on Monday as it moved deeper into southern China, leaving death and destruction from Hong Kong to the Philippines. The storm affected southern China's coast and the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. AP

The death toll in the Philippines, where the main island of Luzon was mauled with fierce winds and rain, rose to 65 as rescuers pulled more bodies from a huge landslide in the mountain town of Itogon. AP

The typhoon affected about five million people in the Philippines altogether, 1,50,000 of whom were in evacuation centres when the storm hit. Mangkhut also destroyed rice and corn crops and damaged 450 homes. AP

Typhoon Mangkhut barrelled into southern China after lashing the Philippines. More than 2.4 million people were evacuated in southern China's Guangdong province. AP

Hong Kong began a massive clean-up on Monday after Typhoon Mangkhut raked the city, shredding trees and bringing damaging floods. The government described the damage as "severe and extensive" with more than 300 people injured. AP

The Hong Kong Observatory said Mangkhut was the most powerful cyclone to hit the city since 1979. The storm, with gusts of more than 230 kilometres per hour, sent buildings swaying and waters surging into homes and shopping malls in Hong Kong, with some roads waist-deep in water. AP