(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
THE NUMBER OF people killed by a massive typhoon in the Philippines is expected to rise as the full extent of the devastation becomes clear in the coming days.
At least 10,000 people are believed to have died and hundreds of thousands have been left homeless by Typhoon Haiyan which struck on Friday.
The head of the Red Cross in the Philippines described the devastation as ‘absolute bedlam’.
“There’s an awful lot of casualties, a lot of people dead all over the place, a lot of destruction,” Richard Gordon told the BBC.
The number of people affected has been estimated to be around four million as people struggle to to find food, shelter and water.
One charity said the typhoon could be the worst natural disaster the country has ever experienced.
“The people of the Philippines endure a regular cycle of typhoons, floods, earthquakes and landslides, but they haven’t suffered anything as ferocious as this typhoon before,” said David Dalton of Plan Ireland.
The Irish government last night announced emergency funding of €1 million towards the relief effort.
Rescue workers have begun a massive aid relief effort to help survivors and prevent outbreaks of disease. Meanwhile hundreds of soldiers and police have taken to the streets in cities in Leyte to try to contain looting
Barry Andrews, the head of GOAL, said that the death toll is likely to rise.
(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
“For those who were fortunate to survive the initial disaster, they are entering a critical period,” he said. “The lack of clean water and access to emergency services could lead to even greater loss of life”.
GOAL has dispatched an emergency response team to the island of Leyte, which was particularly badly affected by the typhoon, while Concern has launched an emergency appeal to help people left homeless after the typhoon. Plan Ireland is to transport thousands of blankets and hundreds of tents, as well as other emergency provisions, to the stricken areas.
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