Arthur Yap, Governor of Bohol Province in the central Philippines, said 72 people have died in his constituency, 10 more are missing and 13 injured. The number of deaths could increase significantly, as only 33 of 48 mayors were able to respond as communications were cut, the official said.
In statements posted on Facebook, Yap ordered the mayors of his province of over 1.2 million to use their emergency powers to ensure large rations and clean water urgently needed in several countries. heavily affected cities.
After flying over the cities destroyed by the typhoon, Yap said: “It is clear that the damage done to Bohol is great and far-reaching.”
Yap said the initial check did not cover four cities, where the typhoon hit the central island provinces on Thursday and Friday. The government said about 780,000 people were affected, including more than 300,000 residents who were forced to flee their homes.
The disaster response agency, national police and local authorities reported at least 64 deaths due to the typhoon. Most of them were damaged by falling trees and collapsed walls, sank during floods or were covered with landslides.
The authorities in the Dinagat Islands, one of the southeastern provinces hit by the typhoon for the first time, separately reported 10 deaths in just a few cities, bringing the total so far to 146.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte toured the region on Saturday and pledged 2 billion pesos ($ 40 million) in aid.
During its strongest period, the typhoon withstood wind speeds of 195 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 270 kilometers per hour, making it one of the most powerful in recent years to hit the disaster-prone archipelago between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.
Flooding quickly intensified in the coastal town of Bohol on Loboc Island, whose residents were trapped on rooftops and trees and rescued by the Coast Guard the next day. In the Dinagat Islands, an official said the roofs of nearly all houses, including emergency shelters, were damaged or completely destroyed.
At least 227 cities were left without electricity, which was restored in just 21 districts, officials said, adding that three regional airports were damaged, two of which remain closed.
The death and widespread damage caused by the typhoon before Christmas in this largely Catholic country was reminiscent of the disaster caused by another typhoon, Haiyan, one of the most powerful on record. It hit many of the central provinces affected in the past week, killing more than 6,300 people in November 2013.
Pope Francis today expressed solidarity with the people of the Philippines, citing the typhoon “which destroyed many homes.”
About 20 storms and typhoons hit the Philippines every year. The archipelago is also located along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, making it one of the countries most prone to natural disasters.
