Typhoon Rai claims at least 112 lives after trampling paradise island in Philippines
Typhoon Rai has claimed at least 112 lives after it wrought devastation trampling through a paradise island province in the Philippines killing 63 people.
Governor Arthur Yap of Bohol province said ten others were missing and 13 injured, and suggested the fatalities may still considerably increase with only 33 out of 48 mayors able to report back to him due to downed communications.
Officials were trying to confirm a sizable number of deaths caused by landslides and extensive flooding elsewhere.
In statements posted on Facebook, Yap ordered mayors in his province of more than 1.2million people to invoke their emergency powers to secure food packs and drinking water.
He said drinking water was an urgent problem since stations were down during the power outage.
Typhoon Rai has claimed at least 112 lives after it wrought devastation trampling through a paradise island province in the Philippines killing 63 people. Pictured: Aerial view showing damaged houses in Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte Province.
A handout photo made available by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows coastguard personnel conducting rescue mission at a flood-affected village in Kabangkalan City, Negros Occidental
Residents stand amid damaged homes following Typhoon Rai in Talisay, Cebu province, central Philippines on Saturday
This photo taken on December 18, 2021 shows motorists passing a fallen electric pylon caused by Super Typhoon Rai after the storm crossed over Talisay, Cebu province
After joining a military aerial survey of typhoon-ravaged towns, Yap said: 'It is very clear that the damage sustained by Bohol is great and all-encompassing.'
He said the initial inspection did not cover four towns, where the typhoon blew in as it rampaged on Thursday and Friday through central island provinces.
The government said about 780,000 people were affected, including more than 300,000 residents who had to evacuate their homes.
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At least 39 other typhoon deaths were reported by the disaster-response agency and the national police.
Officials on Dinagat Islands, one of the southeastern provinces first pounded by the typhoon, separately reported 10 deaths just from a few towns, bringing the overall fatalities so far to 112.
President Rodrigo Duterte flew to the region Saturday and promised two billion pesos ($40 million) in new aid. Aides said the president will visit Bohol on Sunday.
Yesterday, Met Office Storms tweeted that the typhoon had strengthened again in the South China Sea and was forecast to turn northwards, just before reaching the coast of Vietnam.
In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, children push a cart beside damaged homes due to Typhoon Rai in Surigao del Norte province, southern Philippines on Saturday
A woman sits beside damaged homes due to Typhoon Rai in Talisay, Cebu province, central Philippines on Saturday
In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, toppled trees lie along an empty road in Surigao del Norte province, southern Philippines on Saturday
In this photo provided by the Philippine Navy, debris are scattered around the damaged Lipata port in Surigao city, Surigao del Norte province, southern Philippines on Friday
At its strongest, the typhoon packed sustained winds of 195 kilometres per hour (121 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 270 kph (168 mph).
It is one of the most powerful in recent years to hit the disaster-prone archipelago, which lies between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.
Floodwaters rose rapidly in Bohol´s riverside town of Loboc, where residents were trapped on their roofs and trees. They were rescued by the coast guard the following day.
On Dinagat Islands, an official said the roofs of nearly all the houses, including emergency shelters, were either damaged or blown away.
At least 227 cities and towns lost electricity, which has since been restored in only 21 areas, officials said, adding three regional airports were damaged, including two that remain closed.
The deaths and widespread damage left by the typhoon ahead of Christmas in the largely Roman Catholic nation brought back memories of the catastrophe inflicted by another typhoon, Haiyan, one of the most powerful on record.
It hit many of the central provinces that were pummeled last week, leaving more than 6,300 people dead in November 2013.
About 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year. The archipelago is located in the seismically active Pacific 'Ring of Fire' region, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.
A woman walks past clothes that are left to dry on toppled trees due to Typhoon Rai in Talisay, Cebu province, central Philippines on Saturday
A man walks amid damaged homes following Typhoon Rai in Talisay, Cebu province, central Philippines on Saturday
Residents salvage parts of their damaged homes following Typhoon Rai in Talisay, Cebu province, central Philippines on Saturday
In this photo provided by the Office of the Vice President, Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, second from right, talks to evacuees who are homeless due to Typhoon Rai in Cebu, central Philippines on Saturday
In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, residents affected by Typhoon Rai wash clothes in Surigao del Norte province, southern Philippines on Saturday
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