The Philippines’ powerful Typhoon, which decimated homes and flooding towns, cut off power and communication lines, has claimed the lives of more than 300 victims. It also displaced thousands of people in its northern and central parts.

As the nation battled Typhoon Rai’s strongest storm, military aircraft and navy vessels were deployed to aid the affected areas.

On Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that while we are still trying to assess the extent of damage, it was huge. “We are starting to address food, water (supplies), and the medical care for the wounded.

Lorenzana advised the military to use every resource available for relief and sent additional troops in case necessary.

Monday saw an increase in storm-related deaths as rescue efforts were continued in difficult-hit areas.

According to police, Rai was the deadliest Typhoon that hit Southeast Asian countries as it reached 375 deaths by 1000 GMT. While the number of people who were injured has increased to 500, 56 others are still missing.

This count, according to the police, was not verified.

Police reported that the majority of deaths occurred in central Visayas. This is where you can find popular dive sites in Bohol and in northern Mindanao’s Caraga regions.

Arthur Yap, provincial governor of the Philippines, said to CNN Philippines that he fears more deaths due to a dearth in mobile telephone connections making it difficult to collect information.

Rai made landfall on Thursday as a Category 5 Typhoon. It brought back memories of the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which claimed 6,300 lives in the Philippines.

Rai was able to displace nearly 490,000.00 people in the Philippines and then moved toward the South China Sea on the weekend.

The tsunami left behind a trail that was destructive in Cebu, Leyte and Surigao del Norte. This includes Siargao which is very popular among surfers and the Dinagat islands.

Rodrigo Duterte was in the Philippines this weekend to visit typhoon victims and offered funds for their recovery.