At least 16 dead as Typhoon Ursula lashes Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Ursula (international name: Phanfone) which swept across remote villages and popular tourist areas in the Visayas on Christmas Day claimed at least 16 lives, authorities said Thursday.

Typhoon Ursula, with winds of 195 kilometers (120 miles) an hour, tore roofs off houses and toppled electric posts as it cut across the Philippines on Wednesday. 

READ: 'Ursula' now over West Philippine Sea, signals lifted in some Visayas, Luzon areas

With the internet and mobile phone networks still cut off in some badly damaged areas, a full assessment of "Ursula's" damage was not immediately possible on Thursday morning.

But at least 16 people had been confirmed killed in villages and towns in the Visayas, the central third of the Philippines, according to disaster agency officials.

"Ursula" also hit Boracay, Coron and other holiday destinations that are famed for their white-sand beaches and popular with foreign tourists.

The airport at Kalibo, which services Boracay, was badly damaged, according to a Korean tourist who was stranded there and provided images to AFP.

"Roads remain blocked, but some efforts have been made to clear away the damage. It's pretty bad," Jung Byung Joon said via Instagram messenger.

"Everything within 100 meters of the airport looks broken. There are a lot of frustrated people at the airport as flights have been canceled.

"Taxis are still running but it's windy and still raining so no one wants to leave the airport, including me."

LIST: Thursday, Friday flights canceled due to 'Ursula'

Though much weaker, "Ursula" tracked a similar path as Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) — the country's deadliest storm on record which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.

"It's like the younger sibling of Haiyan. It's less destructive, but it followed a similar path," Cindy Ferrer, an information officer at the Western Visayas region's disaster officer, told AFP.

Tens of thousands of people in the mostly Catholic nation had been forced to evacuate their homes on Wednesday, ruining Christmas celebrations.

READ: More than 12,000 families preemptively evacuated on Christmas due to 'Ursula'

Many others were not able to return to their families, with ferries and plane services suspended.

Among those killed "Ursula" was a police officer who was electrocuted by a toppled electric post while patrolling.  

The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific typhoon belt, and is hit by an average of about 20 major storms a year.

Many of the storms are deadly, and they typically wipe out harvests, homes and infrastructure, keeping millions of people perennially poor.