Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) Latest News Update: 21 Dead, More than One Million Affected

The death toll for Typhoon Hagupit rises in the Philippines with 21 people already confirmed dead and a million others affected. Hundreds of thousands are seeking help as they are left without food while their homes have been destroyed.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or NDRRMC said that 1,062,237 people were brought to evacuation centers for safety and food relief assistance.

These residents, according to the NDRRMC, belong to seven regions, 25 provinces, 188 municipalities and 1,547 villages. This list does not include those in southern Luzon, Metro Manila and Central Luzon who were also affected by the typhoon since Monday, December 8.

At the height of the typhoon, five airports were closed and 183 domestic flights were cancelled. Power outages were also experienced in many provinces. Because of the damage, major telecommunication providers currently have no services in the affected areas. National roads were closed due to fallen trees, landslides and floods.

Known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ruby, Typhoon Hagupit was recognized as a Category 4 super typhoon before it made landfall in the Philippines on December 6, specifically in Dolores, Eastern Samar.

It made its second landfall in Cataingan, Masbate the next day. On December 8, it made another landfall over Torrijos, Marinduque and over San Juan, Batangas on that same day. On December 9, Hagupit made its fifth landfall over Mabini, Batangas and its sixth and final landfall over Looc, Occidental Mindoro.

With memories of the super typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as typhoon Yolanda, which brought unbelievable destruction a little over a year ago and killed more than 6,000 people, the government implemented strong evacuation efforts to prevent casualties during the height of Hagupit.