Typhoon death toll tops 145 in Philippines, officials say
MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from a powerful typhoon that struck the Philippines last week is continuing to rise as rescuers reach more devastated areas, with more than 145 people now believed to have been killed, officials said Sunday.
About half of the 146 deaths reported from Super Typhoon Rai were in the island province of Bohol in the central Visayas region, a tourist destination known for its diving spots and coral reefs.
Gov. Arthur Yap of Bohol province in the central Philippines said 72 people died there, 10 others were missing and 13 injured, and suggested the fatalities may still increase because only 33 of 48 mayors were able to report back to him due to downed communications.
Officials were trying to confirm a number of deaths caused by landslides and extensive flooding elsewhere.
“It is very clear that the damage sustained by Bohol is great and all-encompassing,” Yap said.
The Philippines’ national disaster agency, which often takes time to confirm deaths reported by officials around the country, was still reporting a count of 31 deaths from the typhoon Sunday.
The central province of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro city on the island of Mindanao were also among the worst-hit areas, and just off Mindanao, officials were trying to get aid to the island of Siargao, a popular surfing destination.
The typhoon made landfall on the island Thursday, with gusts of up to 168 mph, before tearing west across the country. Rai was classified as a super typhoon after reaching land, a designation comparable to a Category 5 hurricane in the United States.
Siargao was still cut off as of Sunday.
The typhoon was the 15th to hit the country this year. It dumped heavy rain over large areas, and large parts of the central and southern Philippines sustained damage, with many waterways overflowing their banks.
The chair of the Philippine Red Cross, Sen. Richard Gordon, said Rai was one of the strongest storms ever known to have struck the Philippines, which endures an average of 20 typhoons a year.
“Red Cross emergency teams are reporting complete carnage in the coastal areas. Homes, hospitals, schools and community buildings have been ripped to shreds,” he said in a statement.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has started an emergency appeal for nearly $22 million to finance relief and recovery efforts for an estimated 400,000 people in the Philippines affected by Rai.
In Bohol, Yap said that provincial workers were working overtime to restore power and telecommunications facilities, and that many residents did not have access to clean drinking water.
He said a Philippine navy vessel would ship out from Manila on Monday with aid for Bohol, but he appealed for more help from the national government..