At least 75 people have been killed in the Philippines as Hurricane Roy made landfall this year, according to official reports released on Sunday (December 19).
Arthur Yap, the governor of the tourist island of Bohol (center), announced on his Facebook page that 49 people had died and ten were missing in his province. Mayors. “It simply came to our notice then. Only 21 of the 48 mayors contacted us., He clarified.
More than 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since Thursday, according to the National Agency for Disaster Management in the Philippines, due to the typhoon that devastated the south and center of the country.
Roy was invited “Super Typhoon” When he crossed the border on Thursday, The wind speed is 195 kilometers per hour on the tourist island of Sierra Leone. The Philippine Meteorological Center said wind speeds had dropped to 155 km / h on Friday.
He passed by on Friday afternoon, just north of the popular tourist destination of Palawan, heading towards the South China Sea, before heading in the direction of Vietnam.
Eighteen thousand policemen were mobilized
“This is one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the Philippines in December in the last decade.”Alberto Bocenegra, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Cross in the Philippines, told Agent France-Press (AFP). “The information and pictures we receive are very dangerous. “
More than 18,000 soldiers, police, coast guard and firefighters will join the search and rescue efforts in the worst-affected areas, National Disaster Response spokesman Mark Dimple told AFP. “Significant damage” In Surigao and Sierra Leone, areas most affected by the hurricane, Mr. Dimple said.
At least three people have been killed and dozens injured in Suriko, city mayor Ernesto Matugas told ABS-CBN television. Boganegra warned that the power outage would affect the water supply, raising concerns about health conditions.
Late hurricane
Dinagat Island where typhoon killed at least six people, residents “We are trying to repair their house because our evacuation centers have also been demolished.” Nilo Demeri, deputy governor of the Eastern Province, told ABS-CBN. “They can’t take refuge anywhere else … everything is ruined.”, Lamented.
On social media, the Philippine Coast Guard shared photos of widespread devastation around Surigao, with roofs torn down, buildings demolished and wooden structures broken. Aerial images show vast paddy fields underwater.
Especially late hurricane during the Roy season. Most tropical cyclones form in the Pacific Ocean between July and October. Scientists have long warned that the hurricane will intensify as man-made global warming accelerates.
The Philippines, considered one of the most vulnerable countries to global warming, is hit by about 20 hurricanes each year, often destroying homes, crops and infrastructure in already poorer areas. The worst hurricane to hit the Philippines was Haiyan, which killed or disappeared more than 7,300 people in 2013.
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