UPDATE: Typhoon Rai death tolls rise to 375 in the Philippines
Super Typhoon Rai’s death toll has risen to 375. The storm, known locally as Odette, ripped through the Philippines, damaging homes, hospitals, and schools. The Philippine Red Cross called the storm’s destruction in the coastal areas“complete carnage” and says survivors are now in critical need of drinking water and food.
As of this morning, national police reported that 375 have been killed, 56 individuals have been reported as missing, and more than 500 have been injured since the typhoon made landfall in the Philippines last Thursday. More than 380,000 people left their homes and beachside resorts. Many places are left without power, cell signal or internet access.
At least 94 were killed on the island of Bohol, which was one of the hardest hit areas in the archipelago, the provincial governor Arthur Yap wrote on a Facebook post.
A state of calamity has been declared on the island as many wooden houses in the coastal village of Ubay were demolished and fishing boats were destroyed.
At a tourist hotspot on the eastern Siargao Island, where a number of surfers and other tourists travelled to for Christmas, “SOS” was painted on the road after the typhoon. Residents in the area have been struggling to obtain food and water.
Although President Rodrigo Duterte has promised to add two more billion pesos (US$40 million) in help, more than doubling his earlier commitment, some people were frustrated with the government’s response.
SOURCE: The Guardian
