'Just looking for answers': Families try to connect with loved ones in the Philippines after typhoon

A Southern Alberta man is desperate to reach their family members back home in the Philippines after a typhoon swept through the country on Thursday.

Kiko Yutrago told CTV News how his parents, sister-in-law, and niece all live on the Dinagat Islands in a remote province where internet connections have not been restored.

As of publication, the death toll after Typhoon Rai is at least 146, with many authorities anticipating further devastation yet to be reported.

"All the connections are cut off," Yutrago said. "We are just looking for answers.

"We are just passing questions to each other," he added.

Yutrago said he's only been able to successfully reach his brother, who lives two hours away by boat in another province from his family on Dinagat Island.

"He himself hasn't contacted my parents because he has no connection," he said. "He has to travel five hours just to get a connection and reception to leave a message to me."

For the time being, Yutrago says he is relying on Facebook posts from the governor of the province his family lives in, who recently said 90 to 95 per cent of homes in the region were damaged.

According to authorities in the Philippines, early estimates suggest 780,000 people were affected, including more than 300,000 residents who had to evacuate their homes due to extensive flooding and landslides.

With files from The Associated Press