Philippines death toll from Super Typhoon Rai raised to 31

Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The death toll from Super Typhoon Rai, which left a trail of devastation across Philippines, has been raised to 31, emergency officials said Saturday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also reported that three others were injured due to the fierce storm, described as one of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit the southern Philippines.

Only four of the deaths had officially been confirmed but the government has received new reports of 27 additional fatalities, NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal told the Manila Bulletin.

The typhoon first roared ashore Thursday afternoon with the equivalent strength of a Category 5 hurricane and made seven more landfalls as it weaved through the various islands that make up the south-central Philippines.

One of the hardest hit areas was the holiday island of Siargao, while the islands of Mindanao and Nonoc also sustained significant devastation.

Many areas of the country were still without power on Saturday after nearly 85,000 families and 339,000 people were affected across the Philippines.

The National Police said nearly 3,000 passengers and more than 1,500 vehicles were stranded in seaports after interisland vessels were not allowed to sail due to the the storm, The Manila Times reported.

The international charity Save the Children said its Initial assessment of the destruction showed that houses have been severely damaged, electrical posts have fallen resulting in disrupted communications and survivors are facing a lack of potable water.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday conducted an aerial inspection of areas ravaged by Typhoon Rai, accompanied by this his longtime aide Sen. Bong Go, who told CNN they also met with local officials of some of the worst-hit areas.