UN says 13 people reportedly killed by typhoon Kammuri in Philippines

Filipino villagers stand amid the debris left by Typhoon Kammuri, in Legazpi city. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - UN humanitarian officials say typhoon Kammuri reportedly killed 13 people and displaced nearly 400,000 others as it crossed the Philippines with fierce winds and rain this week.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday (Dec 5) that the humanitarian experts also reported that more than 1,000 houses were destroyed and thousands more damaged.

Kammuri toppled trees and electrical posts, ripped off tin roofs and battered a provincial airport as it blew across island provinces in the southern fringes of the main northern Luzon island on Tuesday before blowing into the South China Sea.

Dujarric said the UN and its humanitarian partners are supporting the government-led response efforts, with rapid assessments of damage in the most affected areas.

He said the United Nations is ready to further assist the government if needed.

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