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US Coast Guard via AFP
Emergency supplies are prepared and shipped from Guam to reopen ports
The South Korean government has launched military flights to rescue stranded nationals on Saipan, the main Northern Mariana Island, affected by the typhoon.
The American Commonwealth was devastated by Typhoon Yutu Wednesday and Saipan Airport has been closed since.
At least 1,800 South Korean tourists would be trapped on the island without electricity and basic supplies running out.
A military plane transports them, 160 at a time, to Guam, nearby, for connections.
"We plan to transport our nationals twice today, but things may change depending on the situation," an air force official said Saturday. Yonhap News Agency.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told the news agency that transport was a priority for children, the elderly and pregnant women.
On Saturday evening, a manager confirmed that the first group of tourists had been successfully flown.
The Saipan International Airport was damaged by the storm and remains closed to commercial carriers, but humanitarian and military access began on Friday.
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Brad Ruszala via Reuters
Photographs show destruction at Saipan International Airport
The Northern Mariana Islands has been designated by the UN as the third fastest-growing global tourism destination in 2017, and is particularly popular among South Koreans and Chinese.
The Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday that about 1,500 Chinese tourists would also be trapped in Saipan.
How was the storm?
The islands were hit directly by Wednesday's super typhoon. The wind speed reached 290 km / h.
- Territory Profile of the Northern Mariana Islands
- How to survive a major storm
A 44-year-old woman died in a building collapsing in Saipan during the storm, but no other deaths were reported.
US President Donald Trump on Friday approved a request for a "major disaster declaration" in the region and Health Secretary Alex Azar said a public health emergency was to be released in order to free up the drug. 39; aid.
Local authorities said that electricity was down in Saipan, which has about 50,000 inhabitants, as well as in Tinian, which houses about 3,000 others.
"Many houses have been destroyed, our physical infrastructure has been compromised, we have no electricity or water," said Tinian Mayor Joey San Nicolas on Thursday.
Cases of looting have also been reported.
Jonathan Perez, a resident of Saipan, told the AFP news agency that basic supplies were running out.
"At the moment, it takes water, clothes, personal hygiene and easy-to-cook foods, such as canned foods and instant noodles," said Perez.
The US Coast Guard reopened on Saturday Saipan, Tinian and Rota ports.
The agency said the ships usually based in Guam were heading to the islands with dozens of pallets of relief supplies.
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Office of the mayor of Tinian and Aguigan
There are reports of serious destruction in Tinian
