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Death toll from typhoon in Philippines tops 140

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Death toll rises: In a handout photo provided by the Office of the Vice President, toppled trees and structures are scattered due to Typhoon Rai. (Office of the Vice President via AP)

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

MANILA, Philippines — More than 140 people have been killed after a strong typhoon battered the Philippines last week, authorities said Sunday.

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About half of the 142 deaths reported from Super Typhoon Rai were in the island province of Bohol, according to The New York Times. The area is a favorite tourist spot known for its coral reels and diving spots.

Authorities increased relief operations on Sunday after the strongest tropical storm to hit the Philippines this year damaged homes, knocked out power and displaced more than 400,000 people, Reuters reported.

The storm hit the islands on Thursday and Friday. The central province of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro city on the island of Mindanao were also among the worst-hit areas, the Times reported.

President Rodrigo Duterte flew to the region Saturday and promised $40 million in aid, according to The Associated Press.

“Many areas have no power, no communications, very little water,” Richard Gordon, the chairman of the Philippines Red Cross, told the BBC. “There are some areas that look like it has been bombed worse than World War II.”

Arthur Yap, the governor of Bohol, said that as of noon Sunday, the typhoon was believed to have killed 72 people in the province, the Times reported.

“It is very clear that the damage sustained by Bohol is great and all-encompassing,” he said in video posted on his Facebook account. “People have suffered greatly in terms of destroyed homes and agricultural losses.”

The central province of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro city on the island of Mindanao were also among the worst-hit areas

The typhoon made landfall on Thursday with gusts of up to 168 mph. Rai was classified as a super typhoon after reaching land, a designation comparable to a Category 5 hurricane in the United States, the Times reported.

The typhoon, known as Odette under the Philippines’ separate naming system, was the 15th to hit the country this year, the newspaper reported.

The storm made landfall nine times, according to Reuters.

©2021 Cox Media Group

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