They take refuge in cavern to face typhoon in the Philippines 0:51
(CNN) -
The death toll from Super Typhoon Rai rose to at least 75 people, local officials reported Saturday, after the storm wreaked havoc in the Philippines late last week.
Search and rescue operations continued over the weekend after Rai, the 15th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, made landfall Thursday on the island of Siargao, a popular surf and tourist destination on the central east coast.
In Bohol province, the worst hit, at least 49 people were reported dead, according to Governor Arthur Yap.
Elsewhere, another 13 people died in Cebu province, said David Tumulak, a councilman.
The collapsed ceilings and walls caused the majority of the deaths, he said, adding that the total damage may increase as cleanup operations continue.
And 13 people were killed in the city of Sipalay, Negros Occidental province, Police Chief Major James Latayon said.
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Downed power poles lie along a street in Cebu City, central Philippines, caused by Typhoon Rai.
However, the official death toll remains at 31, according to affiliate CNN Philippines, citing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The storm, known locally as Odette, which had initially built up winds of up to 260 kilometers per hour with gusts of more than 300 kilometers per hour, then moved west bringing with it heavy rain and widespread rain and flooding.
The estimated cost of the damages is US $ 4.2 million (PHP2 13.9 million), according to the state news agency PNA.
About 332,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, a spokesman for the country's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Friday.
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