Typhoon leaves 31 dead, many homes roofless in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A powerful typhoon left at least 19 people de, kcked down power and communications in entire provinces and wrought widespre destruction mostly in central Philippines, officials said Saturday. A goverr said her island has been “leveled to ground."

Typhoon Rai blew away Friday night into South China Sea after rampaging through sourn and central island provinces, where more than 300,000 people in its path were evacuated to safety in vance in a pre-emptive move officials say may have saved a lot of lives.

At its strongest, Rai packed sustained winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 270 kph (168 mph), one of most powerful in recent years to hit disaster-prone Souast Asian archipelago, which lies between Pacific Ocean and South China Sea. typhoon slammed into country’s souastern coast Thursday but extent of casualties and destruction remained unclear two days after with entire provinces still without power and cellphone connection.

government’s main disaster-response ncy said at least 31 people were reported killed, many after being hit by falling trees, but it ded it was validating most of deaths. At least three were injured and one was missing.

Officials on Dinagat Islands, one of first provinces to be lashed by typhoon’s ferocious winds, remained cut off Saturday due to downed power and communication lines. But its goverr, Arlene Bag-ao, mand to post a statement on province’s website to say that island of about 180,000 “has been leveled to ground.” She pleed for food, water, temporary shelters, fuel, hygiene kits and medical supplies. She said only a few casualties have been reported in capital so far because or towns remain isolated.

“We may have survived, but we cant do same in coming days because of our limited capacities as an island province,” Bag-ao said, ding some of Dinagat’s hospitals could t open due to dam. “Most of our commercial and cargo vessels ... are w unsuitable for sea voys, effectively cutting us off from rest of country.”

Vice Gov. Nilo Demerey mand to reach a nearby province and told DZMM rio network that at least six residents died and that “almost 95% of houses in Dinagat have roof,” and even emergency shelters were destroyed.

“We’re currently doing repairs because even our evacuation centers were destroyed. re are shelters, churches, gymnasium, schools, public markets and even capitol were all shattered,” Demerey said.

Pictures posted on Dinagat’s website show low-slung houses with roofs eir blown off or damd and surrounded by tin roof sheets and debris. nearby island of Siargao, kwn as surfing capital of Philippines, also was pummeled by typhoon.

In central Bohol province, which was directly hit by typhoon, coast guard said its personnel on board rubber boats rescued residents who were trapped on roofs and trees, as waters rose rapidly. It released foot showing coast guard staff helping people from roof of a house nearly engulfed by brownish floodwater to a rubber boat. y also help a villr climb down from a tree above floodwater while ar man, also wearing an orange life vest, waits for his turn.

With government contingency funds used for coronavirus pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte said he would look for money to help provinces. He planned to visit devastated region this weekend.

About 20 storms and typhoons batter Philippines each year. archipelago is located in seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire” region, making it one of world’s most disaster-prone countries.