Typhoon Ray: Dozens of deaths confirmed as relief efforts intensify in Philippines | philippines

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The official death toll from the most powerful typhoon to hit the Philippines this year has risen to 89, as efforts intensify to get water and food to the stricken islands.

More than 300,000 people fled their homes and beach resorts after Hurricane Ray swept through the southern and central regions of the archipelago.

The storm knocked out communications and electricity in many areas, tore down roofs, brought down concrete electricity poles, and inundated villages.

Arthur Yap, governor of the popular tourist destination Bohol, said on his official Facebook page that mayors on the stricken island have so far reported 63 deaths in their towns.

This brought the total number of reported deaths to 89, according to the latest official figures, AFP reported.

But the death toll is likely to rise as disaster agencies assess the full scale of death and destruction caused by the storm across the vast archipelago.

Yap said a number of people were still missing on the island and 13 were injured after the storm hit the country on Thursday when a severe cyclone hit with winds of 195 kilometers per hour (120 miles per hour).

“Communications are still down. Only 21 of the 48 mayors have contacted us, raising fears of more deaths in the flooded county as some residents were rescued from their rooftops,” Yap said.

Residents rescue parts of their homes that were damaged by Cyclone Ray in Talisay, Cebu Province. Photo: Jay Labra/AP

Flood waters rose rapidly in the riverside town of Lubbock in Bohol, with residents trapped on their roofs and trees. They were rescued by the Coast Guard the next day.

President Rodrigo Duterte traveled to the region on Saturday and promised 2 billion pesos ($40 million) in new aid. Aides said the president would visit Bohol on Sunday.

Thousands of military, police, coast guard and firefighting personnel are deployed to assist in search and rescue efforts in the hardest-hit areas of the vast archipelago.

Heavy machinery – such as bulldozers and front loaders – is also sent in to help clear roads blocked by power poles and fallen trees.

She appealed to charities and emergency services for donations.

A Philippine Navy ship carrying goods and other relief items will leave for Bohol on Monday, Yap said, after he earlier declared a state of disaster on the island.

He explained that an aerial survey of the damage inflicted on the north of the island indicated that “our people have suffered greatly from destroyed homes and agricultural losses.”

Yap added that thousands of boxes of water were delivered after a power outage across the island, causing disruption to water refilling stations.

The islands of Siargao, Dingat and Mindanao, which bore the brunt of the Ray when it struck the Philippines, were also devastated on a large scale.

Aerial images released by the military showed extensive damage in the town of Sergau of General Luna, where many surfers and holidaymakers flocked before Christmas, with buildings stripped of roofs and wreckage scattered on the ground.

Dynagat Governor Arleen Bagu said Saturday the damage to the island’s landscape was “reminiscent if not worse” than that caused by super typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

An aerial view of destroyed houses in the city of Surigao, in the province of Surigao del Norte. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard/Reuters

Typhoon Haiyan, called Yolanda in the Philippines, was the deadliest typhoon ever in the country, leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing.

Rai hit the Philippines in the late hurricane season – most typhoons usually occur between July and October.

Scientists have long warned that hurricanes are getting stronger and stronger more quickly as the world warms due to human-led climate change.

The Philippines is hit every year by about 20 storms and typhoons. The archipelago is located in the seismically active “Ring of Fire” region of the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

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