Up to 1,200 people have died as a result of Super Typhoon Haiyan, the Philippine Red Cross said Saturday, according to Reuters and CNN. Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, crashed across the central islands of the Philippines Friday before heading west toward Vietnam. There were reports of widespread power outages, flash floods, landslides and scores of buildings torn apart. Capt. John Andrews, deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority, said civil aviation authorities in Tacloban reported that the seaside airport terminal was ruined by storm surges, though military planes were still able to land with relief aid. Because communications in the Philippines were cutoff, it remained difficult to determine the full extent of casualties and damage. We expect the level of destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan to be extensive and devastating, and sadly we fear that many lives will be lost, said Anna Lindenfors, Philippines director of Save the Children. With this magnitude we know that the destruction is overwhelming, said Emma Amores, who was waiting outside Villamor Airbase in Manila, where a C-130 was loading relief supplies and personnel heading to hard-hit Tacloban. From the images we saw on TV, its highly likely our houses are gone. We just want to know that the family are all safe. usatoday/story/news/world/2013/11/09/typhoon-haiyan-philippines-vietnam/3483099/
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 13:51:10 +0000