JAKARTA - The death toll caused by Typhoon Rai in the Philippines jumped rapidly to 208 after the storm carved a trail of devastation in the central and southern provinces last weekend, a national police spokesman said Monday.
There are 52 people still missing, according to police figures, as relief efforts continue following one of the deadliest typhoons to hit the Southeast Asian nation.
Police have been deployed for relief operations and to ensure order in the disaster-hit area, national police spokesman Roderick Alba said.
The number of victims that the police put out is much higher than the 58 deaths recorded by the national disaster agency to date. However, the agency said it was still validating reports from affected areas.
More than half of the deaths reported by police were deaths in the central Visayas region, which includes Bohol Province, home to some of the country's most popular tourist destinations, including diving spots.
On Sunday, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap reported 74 deaths in his province, citing some reports he said were verified by the health department and local government officials.
Meanwhile, relief operations have accelerated but remain hampered by the damage caused to communications and power lines, which have not been restored in many of the devastated areas.
To note, Typhoon Rai displaced nearly 490,000 people in the Philippines before moving toward the South China Sea over the weekend, also leaving major devastation in the provinces of Cebu, Leyte and Surigao del Norte, including popular surfing destinations Siargao and the Dinagat Islands.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte has committed to pouring around 2 billion pesos (US$40 million) into the cyclone-hit provinces to help with recovery efforts.
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