The governor of an island province in the central Philippines said Sunday at least 63 people died in the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai in more than half of the towns that managed to contact him, bringing the death toll in the strongest typhoon to batter the country this year to at least 112.
Gov. Arthur Yap of Bohol province said 10 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.
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 governments said about 780,000 people were affected, including more than 300,000 residents who had to evacuate their homes.
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 2 billion pesos ($40 million) in new aid. Aides said the president will visit Bohol on Sunday.
Source: AP
