A typhoon swept across the northern Philippines killing at least 16 people as trees, power lines and walls were toppled. But tens of thousands of people were evacuated as floodwaters engulfed large areas..

Officials fear the death toll may rise after Typhoon Koppu tore through the main island of Luzon on Sunday. This left several remote towns and villages isolated due to flash floods, and toppled trees and boulders blocking roads. Power was down in many areas.

The storm, downgraded to a category 1 typhoon from category 4, was moving slowly north on Monday and was forecast to weaken to a tropical storm within hours.