MANILA, Dec 18 (Bloomberg): The strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year has killed at least 31 people after destroying homes, flooding villages and toppling power and communication lines as it cut across the country.
Rai, a super typhoon when it slammed into Siargao Island, a tourist and surfing destination in the southern Philippines, has forced at least 330,000 people to flee their homes across the country, authorities said.
It made landfall at least nine times as it moved over the archipelagic nation, bringing torrential rains and destructive winds before heading into the South China Sea on Saturday.