Philippine-held island suffers typhoon damage

The deadly typhoon that killed hundreds in the Philippines also damaged dozens of homes and government infrastructure on the country's biggest, strategically most important outpost in the South China Sea, including a newly built coast guard station.

Typhoon Rai, which left nearly 400 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands, hit the remote island of Thitu, one of nine features the Philippines occupies in the Spratly archipelago, just as it was been undergoing an upgrade to facilities including the repair of a runway.

Coast guard official Armando Balilo said the island's residents were safe, and the coast guard's priority was to send relief supplies.

Images shared by the coast guard showed the trail of damage left behind by Rai on Thitu, from uprooted trees to the roofs and walls of homes being torn off. "Only the evacuation center was left standing, but the windows were also busted," Balilo said.