Super Typhoon Bavi: Thousands without power in US Pacific islands

Tens of thousands of people were without power Tuesday on Guam and the Northern Marianas after a super typhoon tore through the US Pacific territories, with no casualties reported.

Worst hit was the small island of Rota when it was struck early Monday by Super Typhoon Bavi with winds up to 180 miles (290 kilometers) per hour, bringing down trees and power lines and knocking out water supplies.

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“Many homes have suffered severe damage, with countless roofs completely torn off…  Across the island, there is no electricity, no running water, and no mobile network service,” said local resident Masum Dhali, 24.

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“Numerous water pipelines have been broken, and many power poles have fallen, leaving the entire island without essential services,” Dhali told AFP via Facebook.

“As of right now, still no water and electricity,” Lou Rosari, a spokeswoman for the Municipal Municipal Operations Center on Rota, confirmed on Tuesday morning.

“Fortunately, we haven’t received any reports of any injuries or casualties,” Rota senator Donald M. Manglona said late Monday in a video posted by the Marianas Press.

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“Our first responders and road crew are still out on the road trying to get access for our response vehicles to pull out and answer any distress calls. He still don’t have any running water nor power.”

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Saipan and Tinian, the two main islands of the Northern Marianas, were also without power as were parts of nearby Guam, a separate US territory home to major US military bases, authorities said.

On those islands though the damage was less severe than after Sinkalu, a previous super typhoon that swept through the region several thousand kilometers west of the mainland in April. /dl

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