Archive for November 10th, 2013

Philippines fears massive death toll after typhoon

Washington Post: The super typhoon that tore through the Philippines and left a feared five-figure death toll bore down on central Vietnam on Sunday, already ranking as one of Asia's most damaging natural disasters in recent decades. Survivors from a devastated chain of Filipino islands described a typhoon that had much the look of a tsunami, bringing waves as high as two-story buildings that noisily ground buildings into pulp. Though the storm blazed through on Friday, a partial picture of the damage is only...

Survivors ‘walk like zombies’ after Philippine typhoon kill estimated 10000

Reuters: One of the most powerful storms ever recorded killed at least 10,000 people in the central Philippines, a senior police official said on Sunday, with huge waves sweeping away coastal villages and devastating one of the main cities in the region. Super typhoon Haiyan destroyed about 70 to 80 percent of structures in its path as it tore through Leyte province on Friday, said police chief superintendent Elmer Soria, before weakening and heading west for Vietnam. As rescue workers struggled to reach...

Vietnam Girds Typhoon After 10000 Reported Dead

Bloomberg: Super Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 10,000 people in the Philippines, the Associated Press reported, as storm surges flooded islands and strong winds knocked down buildings and destroyed an airport before moving toward Vietnam. Haiyan, the year’s most powerful cyclone, killed as many as 10,000 people in and around Tacloban City, the capital of Leyte province, when it made landfall Nov. 8, AP reported today, citing regional police chief Elmer Soria. An additional 300 fatalities were confirmed...

Philippines Police: 10,000 Feared Dead in Wake of Vietnam-Bound Typhoon

Voice of America: Local police officials in the Philippines say the death toll in a central province that took the brunt of Typhoon Haiyan could reach as high as 10,000. Provincial officials provided the estimate on Sunday after assessing damage in Leyte province, where they say the destruction was overwhelming. The regional police chief said most of the deaths resulted from drowning and collapsed buildings. Philippine Interior Secretary Mar Roxas says it is difficult to describe the extent of damage in Leyte's...

Typhoon Haiyan: Thousands feared dead in Philippines

LA Times: The death toll from a powerful typhoon that swept away coastal villages in the Philippines with a tsunami-like force is likely in the thousands, if not more than 10,000, officials said Sunday as grim reports filtered in from the provinces. The typhoon Haiyan -- also called Yolanda by Filipinos -- blew through 36 provinces early Friday with gusts of up to 235 miles per hour. More than 48 hours later, confusion reigned over the extent of the casualties and damage with many of the most desperate...

Philippine Typhoon Death Toll Feared in Thousands

New York Times: Philippine officials struggled to respond Sunday to the vast trail of devastation left by Typhoon Haiyan, which unleashed its fury on a central city, likely taking thousands of lives, causing widespread destruction and leaving disorder and looting in its wake. The typhoon on Friday left the city of Tacloban in ruins, as a storm surge as high as 13 feet overwhelmed its streets, with reports from the scene saying most of the houses had been damaged or completely destroyed in the city of 220,000. More...

Philippines: Typhoon Haiyan: ‘Surging Sea’ Blamed for Countless Deaths

ABC News: The casualty count is being characterized as catastrophic in the central Philippines from the powerful typhoon that ripped through the region. "We have so many dead people. We don't have bags," said mayor Remedios Petilla of Palo, a municipality in the Eastern Visayas region that was hard hit. A half-dozen central Philippine islands are reeling from Typhoon Haiyan after it made landfall early Friday morning. The storm, with sustained winds of nearly 200 miles an hour, flattened entire towns in...

With thousands dead, Philippine typhoon ‘a great human tragedy’

Washington Post: As many as 10,000 people are believed dead in one Philippine city alone after one of the worst storms ever recorded unleashed ferocious winds and giant waves that washed away homes and schools. Corpses hung from tree branches and were scattered along sidewalks and among flattened buildings, while looters raided grocery stores and gas stations in search of food, fuel and water. Officials projected the death toll could climb even higher when emergency crews reach areas cut off by flooding and landslides....

Typhoon Haiyan: Thousands feared dead in Philippines

BBC: Around 10,000 people may have died in just one area of the Philippines hit by Typhoon Haiyan, according to officials. One of the worst storms on record, it destroyed homes, schools and an airport in the eastern city of Tacloban. Neighbouring Samar island was also badly affected, with reports of 300 people dead and 2,000 missing. The Philippine government has so far only confirmed the deaths of 151 people throughout the country, but hundreds of thousands have been displaced. The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes...

Official: Over 10000 feared dead in Typhoon Haiyan

USA Today: As many as 10,000 people are feared dead in one city alone after Super Typhoon Haiyan — one of the most powerful storms ever recorded — slammed into the central islands of the Philippines, officials said. Regional police chief Elmer Soria said he was briefed by Leyte provincial Gov. Dominic Petilla late Saturday and told there were about 10,000 deaths on the island, mostly by drowning and from collapsed buildings. The governor's figure was based on reports from village officials in areas where Typhoon...