The death toll from Typhoon Rai has surpassed 200 in the Philippines, with humanitarian workers reporting “complete carnage” in coastal areas where they said the storm had left homes, hospitals and schools “ripped to shreds”.
A spokesman for the police told reporters on Monday that at least 208 people were killed, and 52 were still missing after the storm carved a trail of destruction in central and southern provinces late last week.
Roderick Alba said the police have been mobilised for relief operations and to ensure order in calamity stricken areas.
More than half of the deaths reported by police were fatalities in the central Visayas region, which includes Bohol province, home to some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, including dive spots.
Relief operations have been accelerating but remain hampered by damage caused to communication and power lines, which have yet to be restored in many devastated areas. Credit: Rai had displaced nearly 490,000 people in the Philippines before it moved towards the South China Sea over the weekend.
Credit: Aljazeera.com
