Typhoon Nanmadol kills eight in the Philippines Published duration 28 August 2011

media caption Six people have been killed after Typhoon Nanmadol struck northern Philippines, causing severe flooding and landslides

Typhoon Nanmadol has killed at least eight people in the Philippines and is heading to Taiwan, officials have said.

Fierce winds and rain caused floods and landslides, with 20 major roads blocked and several bridges collapsing, said civil defence office head Benito Ramos.

Among the dead were two children killed when a rubbish tip wall collapsed in the northern mountain city of Baguio.

Nanmadol is expected to make landfall in eastern Taiwan on Monday morning, its Central Weather Bureau said.

Transport disruption

It said the storm was packing gusts of 137 km/h (85mph) and moving north at 10 kilometres an hour.

The island has evacuated 2,500 villagers from its eastern and southern regions, with schools and offices closed, flights cancelled and public transport disrupted.

Authorities in the Philippines - where the storm raged at up to 230 km/h (145mph) - are focusing on rescue operations, with states of emergency declared in many areas.

An average of 20 storms and typhoons hit the Philippines annually, with dozens killed during the last storms - Nock-ten and Muifa - in July.