Death toll from typhoon that lashed Philippines over Christmas rises to 47

The death toll from a powerful typhoon that lashed the Philippines over Christmas has risen to 47, with another nine people still missing, authorities said on Monday morning local time

Typhoon Phanfone, known locally as Ursula, made landfall in Eastern Samar province on December 24, bringing heavy rain and storm surges. It hit as the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane, packing sustained wind speeds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour, with gusts of 195 kph (121 mph).

It then swept west across the islands of the Eastern Visayas region, southern Luzon and Western Visayas on Christmas Day, causing widespread travel disruption over the busy Christmas period in a majority Catholic region. Images from the area showed debris blocking roads, downed lamp posts, crumpled houses and people huddling in evacuation centers.

In total nearly 2 million people were affected, more than 378,000 houses were damaged and 143 people were injured, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Monday.

The NDRRMC said that the typhoon caused about $21.3 million in damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

Some tourist areas, including the popular resort island of Boracay, were also damaged. The nearby Kalibo International Airport was temporarily closed and flights canceled after the typhoon damaged the roof of the terminal building, according to an advisory from Philippine Airlines.

The NDRRMC said a total of 116 domestic flights and three international flights were canceled due to the storm, but operations in the region have resumed as normal.

The Philippines gets hit by more typhoons than any other country, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Earlier this month Typhoon Kammuri, the twentieth to hit the country this year, killed 13 people and damaged more than 8,000 houses.