Pleas for help in Philippines after killer Typhoon Rai leaves island province ‘levelled to the ground’; at least 33 dead

Typhoon Rai slammed into the Philippines’ southeastern coast on Thursday, leaving a path of destruction

Thousands of military, police, coastguard and fire personnel have joined search and rescue efforts

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An aerial view of a village in Surigao City, southern Philippines after the typhoon. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard

Published: 3:22pm, 18 Dec 2021Updated: 6:33pm, 18 Dec 2021

At least 33 people were killed in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, official tallies showed on Saturday.

More than 300,000 people fled their homes and beachfront resorts as Typhoon Rai ravaged the southern and central regions of the archipelago, knocking out communications and electricity in many areas, ripping off roofs and toppling concrete power poles.

Typhoon Rai hits the Philippines, killing and destroying in its wake. Photo: Nasa Earth via ZUMA Press Wire Service, dpa

Rai was a super typhoon when it smashed into the popular tourist island of Siargao on Thursday, packing maximum sustained winds of 195km/h (120mph). There are around 100,000 residents on Siargao, but the population swells with tourists drawn to its beaches and big waves.

Aerial photos shared by the military showed widespread damage in the town of General Luna, where many surfers and holidaymakers had flocked ahead of Christmas, with buildings stripped of roofs and debris littering the ground.

“Everything was flying, it was as if it was the end of the world,” said Raphy Repdos, a tour operator visiting the island when the storm hit.

Emergency teams rushed aid to areas battered by Typhoon Rai which blew away Friday night into the South China Sea.