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At least 13 people died this week in the Philippines during Typhoon Kammuri, according to a new report announced Thursday by the authorities of the archipelago.
The violent tropical storm , which swept the north of the country from Monday night to Wednesday, also destroyed many houses and dropped many trees. It also led to the very rare 12-hour daytime closure of the capital's international airport.
On Wednesday, the authorities reported four deaths, one drowned and three others affected by falling debris. The Philippine government did not give details of the circumstances of the nine additional deaths announced Thursday.
The balance sheet can still evolve
" It may be that the record is still rising, but we hope that will not be the case, " said AFP Mark Timbal, spokesman for the National Agency for Disaster Management.
Hundreds of thousands of people living in areas at risk of being hit hard by the typhoon had been evacuated before Kammuri arrived, which helped save lives according to the authorities. The storm, however, damaged 135 schools and destroyed nearly 1,200 homes.
The Philippines is affected by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, which kill hundreds and contribute to the poverty of the exposed populations. The most devastating typhoon recorded in the country, Haiyan, killed more than 7,300 people and disappeared in 2013.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was due to travel to the Bicol region in southeast Luzon, the largest island in the country, on Thursday. This peninsula was the first area hit by the typhoon.