Typhoon Rai death toll in Philippines tops 200

The death toll in the Philippinescaused by Typhoon Rai has risen to 208, after the storm carved atrail of destruction in central and southern provinces late lastweek, the national police spokesperson said on Monday.

There were 52 people still missing, according to policedata, as relief efforts continued following one of the deadliest
typhoons to have struck the Southeast Asian archipelago.

The police have been mobilized for relief operations and toensure order in calamity stricken areas, national police
spokesperson Roderick Alba said.

The number of casualties cited by police was far higher thanthe 58 deaths recorded by the national disaster agencyover the weekend. The agency said it was still validating reports fromaffected regions.

More than half of the deaths reported by police werefatalities in the central Visayas region, which includes Boholprovince, home to some of the country's most-popular touristdestinations for diving and coral reefs.

On Sunday, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap reported 74 deaths inhis province, citing partial reports that he said had beenverified by both the health department and local governmentofficials.

Relief operations have been accelerating but remain hamperedby damage caused to communication and power lines, which haveyet to be restored in many devastated areas.

Rai had displaced nearly 490,000 people in the Philippinesbefore it moved toward the South China Sea over the weekend,also leaving huge destruction in the provinces of Cebu, Leyte,and Surigao del Norte, including the popular Siargao surfingdestination, and Dinagat Islands.

President Rodrigo Duterte has committed to release around 2billion pesos ($50 million Cdn) in funds to typhoon-hit provinces tohelp in recovery efforts.

The deaths and widespread damage left by the typhoon ahead of Christmas in the largely Roman Catholic nation brought back memories of the catastrophe inflicted by another typhoon, Haiyan, one of the most powerful on record. It hit many of the central provinces that were pummelled last week, leaving more than 6,300 people dead in November 2013.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed his closeness Sunday to the people of the Philippines, referencing the typhoon "that destroyed many homes."

About 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year. The archipelago alsolies along the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire" region, making it one of the countries most susceptible to natural calamities.