Death toll in typhoon-hit Philippines rises to 16

At least 16 people have died and three are reported missing in the Philippines as typhoon Rolly, also known as Goni, continues to batter the country, media reported citing authorities.
Sunday reports indicated seven deaths.

All the victims were confirmed in the worst-hit Bicol region, Filipino news portal Rappler reported citing the regional Office of Civil Defense.

Reportedly the largest weather system recorded anywhere so far in 2020, Rolly made landfall on the island of Catanduanes as a super typhoon early on Sunday but has since weakened to the status of the typhoon and is now a tropical storm.

According to Rappler, the entire region was left without electricity or communication lines while over 50,000 households outside Bicol have experienced power cuts.

Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to conduct aerial inspections of the worst-hit regions later on Monday as the tropical storm died down, the outlet reported.

In the preparation for the storm last week, authorities relocated about one million people from the earlier and estimated that some 31 million more people may be affected. Typhoon Molave, which struck the islands nation just a week prior, claimed 23 lives and 39 injuries.

(ANI/Sputnik)