over 10,000 killed as world's strongest storms hits Philippines

The death toll from one of the strongest storms on record that ravaged the central Philippine city of Tacloban could reach 10,000 people, officials said Sunday after the extent of massive devastation became apparent and horrified residents spoke of storm surges as high as trees.

Regional police chief Elmer Soria said he was briefed by Leyte provincial Gov. Dominic Petilla late Saturday and was 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 Haiyan slammed on Friday.

Tacloban city administrator Tecson Lim said that the death toll in the city alone “could go up to 10,000.”

The typhoon barrelled through six central Philippine islands on Friday, wiping away buildings and levelling seaside homes. Most of the deaths and destruction were on Leyte Island, where Tacloban is located.

About 70 to 80 per cent of the area in the path of Haiyan in Leyte province was destroyed, Soria said.

The giant storm was forecast to hit central Vietnam’s coast Sunday afternoon.