Rescuers struggled to clear roads of debris in a bid to reach areas ravaged by Typhoon Bopha

Typhoon Bopha, the strongest storm to hit the country this year, kills at least 82 people after making landfall on the east coast of Mindanao island at dawn, packing winds of 210 kilometres (130 miles) an hour.

The typhoon brought driving rain and strong winds to Mindanao, toppling trees and power lines, causing localised flooding and forcing more than 56,000 to seek refuge in emergency shelters, the civil defence office said.

Large parts of Mindanao, which is not normally hit by typhoons, were still without electricity on Tuesday night, it added.

Typhoon Bopha comes after tropical storm Washi hit Mindanao in December last year, killing more than 1,200 and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

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VIDEO: Floods in Cagayan De Oro, Philippines caused by Typhoon Bhopa