Typhoon Rai: Philippines death toll surpasses 200

Philippines death toll due to Typhoon Rai mounted to 208 as on Monday with at least 52 missing.

At least 52 people were still missing, as relief efforts continued following one of the deadliest typhoons to have struck the Southeast Asian country, according to Al Jazeera.

Many of those who died were hit by falling trees or walls, drowned in floods, or were buried in landslides. A 57-year-old man was found dead hanging from a tree branch and a woman was blown away by the wind and died in Negros Occidental province, according to sources.

More than 700,000 people were lashed by the typhoon in central island provinces, including more than 400,000 who had to be moved to emergency shelters. Thousands of residents were rescued from flooded villages, including in Loboc town in hard-hit Bohol province, where residents were trapped on roofs and trees to escape from rising floodwaters, according to Al Jazeera.

Further, about 20 storms and typhoons annually batter the Philippines, which lies between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.

Also, the Southeast Asian archipelago also lies along the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire" region, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.

Earlier, Philippines coastguard ships ferried 29 American, British, Canadian, Swiss, Russian, Chinese and other tourists who were stranded on Siargao Island, a popular surfing destination devastated by the typhoon, according to Al Jazeera.

Many of those who died were hit by falling trees or walls, drowned in floods or were buried in landslides adding up to the casualties.

( With inputs from ANI )

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