375 Dead, 56 Missing After Typhoon Slams Philippines

375 Dead, 56 Missing After Typhoon Slams Philippines
Cars pass by a toppled electrical post due to Typhoon Rai in Surigao city, Surigao del Norte, the southern Philippines as power supply remains down on Dec. 19, 2021. Jilson Tiu/AP Photo
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MANILA, Philippines—The death toll from the strongest typhoon to batter the Philippines this year climbed to 375, with more than 50 others still missing and several central provinces struggling with downed communications and power outages and pleading for food and water, officials said Monday.

At its strongest, Typhoon Rai packed sustained winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 270 kph (168 mph) before blowing out into the South China Sea on Friday.