Typhoon In Bohol, Philippines Kills 49 People

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - A total of 49 people have died in the central Philippines' Bohol province, which was badly affected by the powerful cyclone Rai that hit the country last week, the province's governor, Arthur Yap, said on Sunday.

His remarks come amid ongoing rescue operations.

However, the official death toll stands at 31. The national disaster agency, when asked about the figure, said its operating unit had not yet received an official report from the provincial unit.

In Bohol, communication lines and power supplies have not been accessible for the past two days, due to the Rai cyclone, Yap said. The province is home to several popular tourist destinations such as the Loboc River, which overflows.

"It is very clear that the damage suffered in Bohol was so strong and affected all," he said in a video posted to his official Facebook page.

"People have suffered greatly from damaged houses and agricultural losses," he said, calling for a collection of donations for the victims, especially drinking water.

Rai, among the deadliest tropical storms to strike the Philippine archipelago this year, has struck nine times, with traces of massive destruction also reported in the provinces of Cebu, Leyte, Surigao del Norte, including popular surfing destinations Siargao and the Dinagat Islands.

In the Dinagat Islands, which are in the south, where strong winds damaged about 90 percent to 95 percent of homes, 10 people have died, according to the province's chief information officer Jeffrey Crisostomo.

It is not yet clear whether these deaths are included in the official tally of the disaster agency.

Rai has now moved towards the South China Sea, but more than 400,000 people remain in temporary shelters, the disaster agency said in information provided on Sunday.

About 20 tropical storms hit the Philippines every year, which usually cause floods and landslides.