In the Philippines, typhoon Conson ripped across the country today, killing at least 20 people as it destroyed shanty towns and brought the nation's capital Manila to a standstill. Sixty other people were reported missing after Conson hit the Southeast Asian archipelago late Tuesday, then whipped the main island of Luzon throughout the night with wind gusts of 120 kilometers an hour. According to reports, some of the flimsy slum homes erected by squatters along the coast were swept away entirely, leaving the shocked residents to scavenge scrap wood to build makeshift shelters. Authorities said fifty-seven fishermen were also missing, while three other people were unaccounted for south of the capital after flooding swept away their shanties. With communication systems down amid the chaos of the typhoon's aftermath, disaster relief officials said they were still trying to determine the extent of the damage and there were concerns the death toll could rise. Electricity was knocked out throughout Luzon, including Manila, where fallen tree branches and other debris littered the streets. Ninety per cent of Manila's 12 million residents remained without power. The national energy transmission company warned that power supplies may not be restored in some areas of Manila and neighbouring regions for two days. The capital's overhead railway system was also shut down due to the power outage, while the government closed down primary and high schools. The Philippine weather service came in for criticism. President Benigno Aquino let rip at the state weather service for not warning Manila's residents that Conson would hit the city.