Typhoon Kills 325 In Philippines

An estimated 325 people have been killed by Typhoon Bopha in central and southern Philippines, with 411 injured and 379 missing, officials said last Thursday.

Most of the victims were killed by falling trees and flash floods during the height of the storm on Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

“We have 325 dead and this is expected to rise because many more are missing,’’ Benito Ramos, head of the Civil Defence Office, said.

Disruptions to communications made it hard to determine and update precise casualty numbers, he said.

“Communications are bogged down, there is no electricity, roads and bridges have been destroyed. We’re still in search-and-rescue mode,’’ Ramos said.

Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, the two provinces hit hardest, accounted for 220 of the deaths as of late Wednesday, according to the military.

Nearly 190,000 people have been taken to evacuation centres, the NDRRMC said.

Several of the shelters, including school buildings, were damaged by winds or mudslides.

“Sad to say in Davao Oriental, because of strong winds and rain, even evacuation centres have collapsed,’’ Maj.-Gen. Ariel Bernardo, head of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said.

Authorities said they hoped to restore electricity to affected areas of Davao Oriental “before Christmas, so we could light up the areas,’’ Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla said on Thursday.

The Philippines is hit by around 20 typhoons a year, many of them destructive, but Mindanao has been spared the worst of the damage in recent years.

In December, Typhoon Washi hit the island leaving 1,268 dead mainly in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities.

Authorities said the high toll was due to poor advance warnings, and that residents received better notification ahead of Bopha’s arrival.