10,000 feared dead in Philippine typhoon

A senior Philippine official says at least 10,000 people are feared dead in the central province of Leyte after Typhoon Haiyan swept through the Southeast Asian country.

According to AFP, regional Police Chief Elmer Soria said on Sunday that Haiyan destroyed nearly 70 to 80 percent of the area in its path in Leyte province.
Soria added “We had a meeting last night with the governor and the other officials. The governor said based on their estimate, 10,000 died.”
Haiyan, possibly one of the most powerful typhoons on record that has stricken the Philippines, trampled houses, triggered landslides and floods and cut off power and communications in six central Philippine islands on Friday.
The typhoon caused most of the deaths and damages on Leyte Island and weakened on Sunday after it approached central and northern Vietnam.
Vietnamese officials have also evacuated over 500,000 people in recent days.
hilippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon said the agency and its partners are prepared to perform a major relief effort because of the magnitude of the disaster.