Manila: Typhoon Goni left 27 people dead in its wake, the government said as the affected areas pick up the pieces from the typhoon that lashed northern Philippines last week.

According to Alexander Pama, chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), 27 people were killed by Goni while 24 were injured and 13 remain missing two weeks after the typhoon struck.

Most of the people died after being buried in landslides or struck by falling objects while some were victims of drowning as rainwater cascaded from the denuded mountains.

The fatalities were from Mountain Province, Kalinga, Abra, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Cagayan and Benguet.

Gold mines in Benguet collapsed killing 15 people and burying several others in an avalanche of mud and debris.

The government has not been able or provide a more comprehensive report of the damage because most of the affected areas are in the mountainous and areas that are difficult to reach in the north.

Pama said the rescue and retrieval of the victims continued as workers contend with thick mud and debris from the affected areas.

A total of 26 roads in the province were damaged. In some instances, relief workers had to airlift the aid packages to the affected areas and retrieve the injured and elderly since landslides and flooding had left some of the affected villages inaccessible to land transportation.

Due to the damage brought by Goni, the movement of goods to Metro Manila and nearby regions of Central Luzon were temporarily affected.

“The NDRRMC with assistance from other government agencies such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Social Welfare and Development are continuing to provide assistance to the affected areas two weeks after the devastation,” Pama said,

Relief operations, such as those conducted in the village of Tarmac in Villavicios town, went on until August 28 — two weeks after Goni struck and devastated parts of Abra province and northern Luzon.

According to authorities, the main tributary in the province, the Abra River, is prone to landslides.

The Goni had affected 71,955 families and total of four cities and 81 municipalities are still experiencing power interruptions in the four regions affected.

Typhoon Goni entered the Philippines’ vicinity on August 18, bringing in winds with a sustained speed of 180kph. While the weather disturbance maintained its strength for some time, it slightly weakened as it made its way to Japan.