This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
Published on December 5, 2019, officials in the Philippines confirmed that the death toll from Typhoon Kammuri has risen to 13.
The storm made landfall on Monday, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes in exposed or low-lying areas.
According to authorities, the storm's fierce winds toppled trees and flattened flimsy homes across a swathe of the nation's north, while also causing a rare 12-hour shutdown of Manila's international airport.
Mark Timbal, spokesman for the national disaster agency, stated that no new bodies have been found, but the death toll could rise as reports on the ground are verified.
"There is the possibility of an increase in the number, but we are hoping against it," Timbal told AFP.
The storm damaged 135 schools and destroyed nearly 1,200 homes, with crop damage in the hardest hit areas estimated to reach nearly $16 million.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, killing hundreds and putting people in disaster-prone areas in a state of constant poverty.
