A tourist attraction was demolished after super typhoon Rai smashed the Philippines.
Video taken in Naga City in the province of Cebu on December 17 shows the Naga City Boardwalk in ruins after the violent storm swept through it last Thursday.
Gravel and smashed rocks were scattered on the walkways, while lamp posts and a large Christmas tree were toppled over by strong winds. The typhoon also ripped through a nearby library and covered court.
Naga City had just recently reopened the waterfront boardwalk, which was closed due to the pandemic, on December 7 in a bid to boost tourism and attract more visitors to the province.
Typhoon Rai, known locally as Odette, smashed into the Philippines on December 16, with winds of up to 195 kilometres per hour, making its first landfall on Siargao island. The powerful typhoon left widespread devastation across the country’s Visayas and Mindanao Islands.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said more than 1.8 million people have been affected by Typhoon Rai, leaving at least 177 people dead and 275 more injured.
Meanwhile the Philippine National Police said the death tally has reached 375 as of Tuesday December 21. The NDRRMC said it is now verifying the data.
Local government units in affected areas have reported power outages and telecommunication problems, with coastal areas suffering the brunt of the damage. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said it is still working on restoring electricity to the affected areas. An interim configuration has been set up to temporarily provide power in the provinces of Samar, Leyte, and Cebu in the meantime.
National weather agency Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Typhoon Rai left the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday December 18. It moved along China’s southeastern coast before weakening rapidly on Tuesday December 21.