'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
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada-wide shortage of liquid Children's Tylenol now also impacting chewables
A nationwide shortage of liquid Children’s Tylenol is also impacting generic chewables, with Quebec-based Laboratoire Riva reporting a shortage due to rising demand.

Ontario mayor fires back at conspiracy theorists who tried to arrest police officers
An Ontario mayor had some harsh words for protesters who attempted to place local police officers under arrest Saturday.
Trump supporters' threats to judge spur democracy concerns
Hundreds of federal judges face the same task every day: review an affidavit submitted by federal agents and approve requests for a search warrant. But for U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, the fallout from his decision to approve a search warrant has been far from routine.
B.C. cop who showed sexual selfie to domestic violence victim reinstated
A B.C. Mountie who was fired after showing a domestic violence victim what he described as a barely clothed "d*** pic" was rehired last year after arguing the RCMP's conduct board treated him unfairly.
Eastern Ontario doctor facing 3 new murder charges
An eastern Ontario doctor who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of a patient is facing three new murder charges, Ontario Provincial Police have announced.
COVID-19 hospitalizations due to Omicron are vastly underreported: grassroots organization
Analysis by a grassroots organization of scientists reveals hospitalizations from the Omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 could be 70 per cent higher than what has been reported since December.
The return of Zellers: Hudson's Bay to resurrect Canadian discount retail chain
Canadian department store Zellers hopes to make a comeback next year, a decade after the discount chain shuttered most of its locations., brand owner Hudson's Bay Co. said Wednesday.
As home prices drop, here's what you can get in Canada's most affordable markets
CTVNews.ca has compiled a list of homes in some of the most affordable regions across Canada, as many real estate markets see drops in average prices.
Proportion of French speakers declines nearly everywhere in Canada, including Quebec
The proportion of Canadians who mainly speak French at home continues to decline in nearly all provinces and territories, including Quebec, the latest census release shows.