Philippine Red Cross: More Than 1,000 FEARED DEAD In Super Typhoon Haiyan

[Segami]

MANILA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The Philippine Red Cross estimated that more than 1,000 people were killed in the coastal city of Tacloban and at least 200 in hard-hit Samar province when one of the strongest typhoons ever to make landfall slammed into the country. Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, said the numbers came from preliminary reports by Red Cross teams in Tacloban and Samar, among the most devastated areas hit by Typhoon Haiyan on Friday. "An estimated more than 1,000 bodies were seen floating in Tacloban as reported by our Red Cross teams," she told Reuters. "In Samar, about 200 deaths. Validation is ongoing." She said she expected a more exact number to emerge after a more precise counting of bodies on the ground in those regions.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/09/philippine-red-cross-haiyan_n_4245894.html

Philippines Typhoon Haiyan: Mounting Casualties In Wake Of Year's Strongest Storm

MANILA, Philippines -- MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Rescuers in the central Philippines counted at least 100 people dead and many more injured Saturday, a day after one of the most powerful typhoons on record ripped through the region, wiping away buildings and leveling seaside homes with massive storm surges. With communications and roads still cut off, Capt. John Andrews, deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority, said he had received "reliable information" by radio from his staff that more than 100 bodies were lying in the streets of the city of Tacloban on hardest-hit Leyte Island. It was one of six islands that Typhoon Haiyan slammed into Friday. Regional military commander Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda said that the casualty figure "probably will increase," after viewing aerial photographs of the widespread devastation caused by the typhoon, which was heading toward Vietnam after moving away from the Philippines.



Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras, a senior aide to President Benigno Aquino III, said that the number of casualties could not be immediately determined, but that the figure was probably in the range given by Andrews. Government troops were helping recover bodies, he said. Civil aviation authorities in Tacloban, a city of 200,000 located about 580 kilometers (360 miles) southeast of Manila, reported that the seaside airport terminal was "ruined" by storm surges, Andrews said. U.S. Marine Col. Mike Wylie, who surveyed the damage in Tacloban prior to possible American assistance, said that the damage to the runway was significant. Military planes were still able to land with relief aid. "The storm surge came in fairly high and there is significant structural damage and trees blown over," said Wylie, who is a member of the U.S.-Philippines Military Assistance Group based in Manila.



U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement that America "stands ready to help." Joseph de la Cruz, who was attending a meeting in Tacloban when the typhoon struck and hitched a ride on a military plane back to Manila, said he had counted at least 15 bodies. "A lot of the dead were scattered," he said, adding that he walked for about eight hours to reach the Tacloban airport. Weather officials said Haiyan had sustained winds of 235 kph (147 mph) with gusts of 275 kph (170 mph) when it made landfall. By those measurements, Haiyan would be comparable to a strong Category 4 hurricane in the U.S., nearly in the top category, a 5. Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are the same thing. They are just called different names in different parts of the world. Fresh reports emerged Saturday from the devastated areas.



cont'


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/09/philippines-typhoon-haiyan-casualties_n_4245578.html

[cali]

1. I fear the death toll is going to be horrifyingly high when

they're able to accurately assess it.

those poor people

[theHandpuppet]

3. Heard on NPR this morning...

... that many of the areas hardest hit are still inaccessible. It may be weeks before the scope of this tragedy is known.

[malaise]

2. They don't have a clue how many people were killed

This was a disaster of epic proportions and remember they were hit by a very similar disaster last year.