THIS is the terrifying moment a suspension bridge in the Philippines bucked and heaved like it was made of paper as Super Typhoon Fung-wong tore through the region.
Shocking footage from the town of Camaligan, the 50-metre bridge can be seen twisting violently under 124mph gusts.
It lurches up and down as the typhoon’s full force rips through the town, while terrified residents film the dramatic scenes from their nearby homes.
Local resident Fronie told broadcaster GMA: “If the bridge is damaged, we’ll have to detour through another village to cross.”
The bridge ordeal came as Super Typhoon Fung-wong slammed into the Philippines late Sunday.
One of the most powerful storms to hit the country this year, it unleashed torrential rain, floods, and deadly landslides from Bicol to Ilocos.
Authorities say at least eight people have been killed, including three children buried in landslides in Nueva Vizcaya and an elderly victim swept away in Mountain Province.
Others drowned or were crushed when their homes collapsed under the typhoon’s fury.
More than 1.4 million people fled their homes, crowding into emergency shelters and the houses of relatives.
As of Monday, around 318,000 remained in evacuation centres, while rescue teams struggled to reach isolated mountain villages.
The storm toppled walls, uprooted trees, and triggered widespread power outages, knocking out electricity across entire provinces.
At least 14 transmission lines were cut, thousands of homes destroyed, and several airports shut down.
More than 325 domestic and 61 international flights were cancelled, while 6,600 travellers and cargo workers were stranded in ports as the coast guard banned sea travel.
Disaster response official Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said: “While the typhoon has passed, its rains still pose a danger in certain areas in northern Luzon, including in metropolitan Manila.”
He added that rescue and relief efforts were underway.
The 1,800-kilometre-wide monster storm made landfall in Aurora province Sunday night with sustained winds of 115 mph and gusts of up to 143 mph, before weakening as it swept across the northern plains.
By Monday, Fung-wong had blown into the South China Sea, tracking northwest toward southern Taiwan, but not before leaving swathes of Luzon underwater and parts of Bicol flattened.
It comes as the country still reels from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed at least 224 people earlier in the week and left more than 100 missing.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency on Thursday ahead of Fung-wong’s arrival, warning that back-to-back storms had stretched resources to the limit.
The Philippines endures around 20 typhoons a year, but locals say this one felt different.
Dozens of villages were transformed into mud-filled swamps, with rescue teams ferrying stranded families and even livestock to safety on small boats.
Rescuer Juniel Tagarino from Catbalogan City recalled how one woman died trying to retrieve belongings before her home collapsed.
He added: “The wind was so strong and the rain was heavy.”
