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Philippines
More than 500,000 people have evacuated their homes as typhoon Hagupit approaches the Philippines.
Typhoon Hagupit, which weakened slightly on Friday night, is due to make landfall on Saturday evening.
It is on course for the Eastern and Northern Samar provinces and the city of Tacloban, where thousands were killed by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago.
It has weakened slightly but gusts are still peaking at 120mph.
Thousands of passengers were left stranded after Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific cancelled more than 150 flights to the central and southern Philippines on December 5 and December 6, and sea travel services were suspended.
President Benigno Aquino, who met disaster agency chiefs on Friday afternoon, has ordered food supplies to be sent to affected areas as well as troops and police to be deployed to prevent looting in the aftermath.
Local media reported Benigno Aquino as saying there was “no indication” for now that Hagupit, would be as strong as Haiyan.
Haiyan – known as Yolanda in the Philippines – was the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land. It tore through the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing.
Typhoon Hagupit’s huge diameter of 370 miles meant that about 50 million people, or half the nation’s population, were living in vulnerable areas, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman told AFP news agency.
The latest update from Philippine weather authorities said that Hagupit, which means “smash” in Filipino, had weakened slightly, though it still had powerful gusts.
On Saturday it was churning towards eastern coasts with its eye 145 miles north-east of Borongan, in Eastern Samar province.
Residents of Eastern Samar reported rain was falling and power was fluctuating.
It could bring storm surges up to one storey high, as well as heavy rain and the risk of landslides, officials have warned.
Schools and government offices are closed in some areas and there were long queues at shops and petrol stations as people stocked up on supplies.
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Tens of thousands of people in the Philippines have sought shelter as powerful Typhoon Hagupit heads towards the country.
Typhoon Hagupit, or Ruby in the Philippines, has gusts of up to 143mph and is due to hit land on Saturday evening.
It is on course for the Eastern and Northern Samar provinces and the city of Tacloban, where thousands were killed by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago.
Local residents, many of them still living in temporary shelters, are moving away from coastal areas.
President Benigno Aquino, who met disaster agency chiefs on December 5, has ordered food supplies to be sent to affected areas, as well as military troops and police officers to be deployed to prevent looting in the aftermath.
Local media reported Benigno Aquino as saying there was “no indication” for now that Hagupit would be as strong as Haiyan.
Typhoon Haiyan – known as Yolanda in the Philippines – was the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land. It tore though the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing.
The latest update from Philippine weather authorities said that Hagupit, which means “smash” in Filipino, was weakening slightly, though it still has powerful gusts.
It could bring storm surges up to one storey high, as well as heavy rain and the risk of landslides, officials have warned.
Schools and government offices are closed in some areas and there were long queues at shops and petrol stations as people stocked up on supplies.
In Tacloban, many people have taken shelter in the sports stadium.
About 19,000 people from coastal villages are in 26 evacuation centers, Tacloban’s disaster office spokesman Ilderando Bernadas told Reuters.
He said that number was expected to double was the authorities began forcing people to evacuate.
The Philippine weather authorities said that as of 16:00 local time on December 5 Hagupit was 230 miles east of Eastern Samar and moving at 8 mph, a relatively slow speed.
Typhoon Hagupit has weakened slightly, but still remains powerful, with sustained winds of 120 mph and gusts of up to 145 mph. Up to 35 provinces and municipalities are likely to be affected.
The US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center had classified Hagupit as a super typhoon but downgraded it on Friday morning. It remains the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Meteorologists had said there was a chance Hagupit could veer north towards Japan and miss the Philippines altogether, but this scenario is increasingly seen as unlikely.
The Philippines gives its own names to typhoons once they move into Philippine waters, rather than using the international storm-naming system.
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The Philippines are braced for the arrival of Typhoon Hagupit, expected to hit land on December 6.
Hagupit, which is building strength over the Pacific, is slowly bearing down on the region devastated by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago.
The typhoon has gusts of up to 105mph and is expected to be a category 4 storm by December 6.
Thousands of people, many still living in temporary shelters, have been told to go to evacuation centers.
Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda, was the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land.
It tore though the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing.
Typhoon Hagupit is not expected to be a powerful as Haiyan, but could bring storm surges up to one storey high.
The vice-mayor of Tacloban, the city which was worst hit by Haiyan, said the authorities were enforcing evacuation orders.
“We have no more excuse, we have gone through Yolanda, and to lose that many lives, it’s beyond our conscience already,” Jerry Yaokasin told reporters on December 3.
He told AFP news agency: “Our problem is: we don’t have enough evacuation centers.”
Meteorologists say there is a chance Hagupit could veer north towards Japan and miss the Philippines altogether, but officials said they were preparing for a worst case scenario.
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A memorial walk took place in the Philippines on the anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan which ravaged central parts of the country a year ago.
Thousands of people marched through the city of Tacloban as sirens sounded and bells rang at the exact time the storm hit.
There were also anti-government protests at what some see as the slow pace of rebuilding.
President Benigno Aquino has denied moving too slowly. More than 7,000 people were killed in the disaster.
Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, hit on November 8 2013, sending huge storm swells into inland areas and destroying wide swathes of central Philippines.
More than four million people were displaced, many of whom are still living in temporary shelters.
Ceremonies were held on November 8 at mass graves in Tacloban where several thousand victims of the storm are buried.
Thousands marched by candlelight through the city at dawn, passing through areas devastated by the typhoon.
Gathering at the graves, mourners wrote names of loved ones on white crosses planted symbolically to represent unidentified victims.
More than four million people were displaced after typhoon Haiyan hit Tacloban in November 2013
“It’s important that we make it meaningful, so for the next generation’s people will remember this,” city mayor Alfred Romualdez said, quoted by Reuters news agency.
Hundreds also staged protests in the city and in the capital Manila at what they regard as a lack of progress in reconstruction.
The protesters burned an effigy of the president in the middle of Tacloban.
President Benigno Aquino has been accused of showing a lack of urgency in the reconstruction, with plans to find safe land away from the coast and build new homes falling behind schedule.
Benigno Aquino says the plan will take time.
“I would hope we can move even faster and I will push everybody to move even faster, but the sad reality is the scope of work you need to do can really not be done overnight,” said the president.
The president has decided not to come here to mark the anniversary, although he visited the typhoon-hit Eastern Samar province on November 7.
Tacloban is a stronghold of Benigno Aquino’s political enemies – it is the birthplace of former First Lady, Imelda Marcos.
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Paintings belonging to Imelda Marcos have been seized by Philippine authorities who claim they were acquired with stolen state funds.
A small number of works were taken away from properties owned by the 85-year-old former first lady on the order of the courts.
Pieces by Picasso, Gauguin and other masters are thought to be in the possession of the family of the Philippines’ former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos.
Imelda Marcos lived a lavish lifestyle during her husband’s 21-year rule.
She is best known for amassing a huge collection of designer shoes during the family’s tenure in power, but has never been imprisoned despite being charged with a number of crimes.
State authorities claim that a selection of paintings were illicitly obtained using public funds during the Marcos era, which lasted from 1965 to his overthrow in 1986. Ferdinand Marcos died in exile three years later.
Paintings belonging to Imelda Marcos have been seized by Philippine authorities who claim they were acquired with stolen state funds
The family and associates are estimated to have amassed more than $10 billion in property, jewellery, cash and other assets during their time in power.
Imelda Marcos, who was elected to the Philippine congress in 2010, has consistently denied embezzlement.
Pablo Picasso’s Reclining Woman VI, Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, and a still life by Paul Gauguin are among those the Philippine courts are keen to seize.
State spokesman Nick Suarez confirmed that a number of pieces of art had been removed from Imelda Marcos properties, but they “have yet to determine which ones or how many”.
The other works on the court’s list are Francisco de Goya’s portrait of the Marquesa de Santa Cruz, Pierre Bonnard’s La Baignade Au Grand Temps, Vase of Red Chrysanthemums by Bernard Buffet, Joan Miro’s L’Aube, and one of Camille Pissarro’s Jardin de Kew series.
Imelda Marcos is said to be a keen art collector, and her lawyer said that the court order and seizure were “highly questionable” and there would be an appeal.
Robert Sison said that the paintings were not included in a forfeiture case which the Philippine government brought against the Marcos family more than a decade ago.
There are thought to be a total of 150 artworks in Imelda Marcos’ possession, which the authorities are keen to track down.
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Some 200,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in the Philippines after tropical storm Fung-Wong has brought flooding, heavy rains and high winds.
Five people were also killed in the storm, two of them electrocuted while wading through flood waters, an emergency official said.
Manila and the northern provinces were worst hit, with residents being rescued from the roofs of flooded homes.
Fung-Wong is now heading north, and is expected to hit Taiwan on September 21.
Some 200,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in the Philippines after tropical storm Fung-Wong has brought flooding, heavy rains and high winds (photo Reuters)
Some 50,000 troops have been placed on standby on the island for potential rescue and relief operations.
The flood waters began to subside in parts of the Philippines on Saturday, allowing displaced residents to return home and begin clearing up.
Fung-Wong had struck the archipelago with winds of 59mph and gusts of 70kph, gathering strength as it moved north. Three weeks’ worth of rain is reported to have fallen overnight in parts of the country.
Roofs were blown away, trees toppled and highways flooded across the island of Luzon, seat of the capital, Manila.
Local media reported a river burst its banks in an eastern part of Manila on September 19, prompting the evacuation of more than 20,000 people. Other residents, however, chose to stay put.
Fung-Wong also lashed Cebu City in central Philippines, leaving parts of it 6ft underwater.
Tropical storms frequently strike the Philippines: Fung-Wong is the second in two weeks.
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Rammasun, the biggest typhoon to hit southern China in 40 years, has killed 17 people, after wreaking death and destruction on the Philippines.
Typhoon Rammasun killed at least eight people on the island of Hainan, with others missing, and nine in the Guangxi region, state media say.
It made landfall on Friday with winds exceeding 124mph.
At least 94 people were killed when Rammasun ravaged the northern Philippines earlier this week.
The storm is also affecting Vietnam, where heavy rain is expected before it starts to weaken on Monday.
Rammasun is the biggest typhoon to hit southern China in 40 years (photo Reuters)
Air, rail and road traffic was suspended in parts of China while TV channels showed roads littered with debris including uprooted trees and rooftops.
On Hainan, another source gave the death toll as 18 while the number of people missing is said to be between two and five.
It is the strongest typhoon experienced by southern China since the 1973 typhoon season, the country’s Meteorological Administration said on its website.
That year’s Super-Typhoon Nora had maximum winds of 295km/h although it had weakened by the time it made landfall.
Most of the people killed in the Philippines were hit by falling debris and trees, disaster officials said, while some of six people reported missing had been at sea on boats.
A new typhoon, Matmo, with maximum winds of 150km/h, is now threatening the area ravaged by Rammasun, Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokeswoman Mina Marasigan told AFP news agency.
About 20 major storms hit the Philippines a year, AFP adds. The south-east Asian country often bears the brunt of the storms, which mass above the warm Pacific Ocean waters.
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Typhoon Rammasun has killed 38 people and left millions without power in central Philippines.
Ten more people were injured by the powerful storm and another eight remain missing, according to authorities.
Typhoon Rammasun swept through the country on Tuesday night before making a shift away from Manila on Wednesday.
Typhoon Rammasun has killed 38 people and left millions without power in central Philippines
More than 530,000 people took refuge in evacuation centers. Many of those who died were killed while outdoors by falling trees and flying debris.
Millions living in provinces southeast of the capital still have no power, according to news agencies.
Officials have managed to restore power to only half of Luzon, which has 17 million people.
Much of the eastern region of Bicol, which was hit first by the storm and is home to five million, is also without electricity.
Manila was hit by widespread blackouts as well, but most of the city’s power has since been restored.
Officials said more than one million people were affected by the storm. Most of them were from Bicol.
Typhoon Rammasun is now heading westwards towards China’s Hainan island. The Tropical Storm Risk website is predicting it will gain in strength to Category 2 – one grade below its strength in the Philippines – within 24 hours.
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Typhoon Rammasun hit the central Philippines forcing thousands of people to evacuate.
The typhoon, also known as Glenda, struck the main island of Luzon with gusts of up to 115 mph.
Authorities said at least four people had been killed by the storm.
Officials said the eye of the storm passed south of the capital, Manila, but the severe weather brought it to a standstill.
Government offices and schools were shut on Wednesday while flights were cancelled.
Typhoon Rammasun hit the central Philippines forcing thousands of people to evacuate
More than 370,000 people, mostly in the eastern province of Albay which was the first to be hit by the typhoon, had been evacuated, the Philippine National Red Cross said.
Town halls had been converted into shelters and evacuees had also been taken to schools and gymnasiums.
Strong winds also bore down on homes in outlying slum areas along Manila Bay, where thousands of people live.
Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, said staff were trying to rescue people trapped by fallen debris in Batangas City.
“We have not received reports of major flooding in Manila because the typhoon did not bring rain but the winds were strong,” he said, adding that an increased awareness of storm surges and a willingness to follow government advice had also helped reduce casualties this time around.
The Philippines is hit by around 20 major storms a year. Typhoon Rammasun is the first to make landfall this year after the rainy season began in June.
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Shortly after arriving in Philippines, President Barack Obama held talks with President Benigno Aquino and was later to attend a state dinner.
Manila is the final stop of the US president’s four-nation Asia tour.
President Barack Obama says that a new US-Philippine military pact will promote stability in the region.
The deal, signed in Manila hours before Barack Obama touched down, allows a bigger US military presence in the country.
Barack Obama arrives in Philippines, the final stop of his four-nation Asia tour
Barack Obama said the deal was not intended to contain China, with whom Manila is embroiled in a bitter territorial row.
But he backed Manila’s move to seek UN arbitration over its maritime dispute with Beijing.
“Our goal is not to counter China. Our goal is not to contain China. Our goal is to make sure international rules and norms are respected and that includes in the area of international disputes,” he said.
The 10-year military deal was signed by Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg on Monday morning.
Under the agreement, the US will have better access to military bases, ports and airfields. US troops would rotate through these facilities and engage in joint training, officials said.
Barack Obama said the US was not planning to rebuild old bases or construct new ones under the security pact.
“We’ll work together to build the Philippines’ defense capabilities and work with other nations to promote regional stability such as in the South China Sea,” he said.
In a statement, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario described it as “milestone in our shared history as enduring treaty allies”.
“The EDCA [Enhanced Defense Co-operation Agreement] elevates to a higher plane of engagement our already robust defense alliance,” he said.
However, the presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former US colony.
Anti-US activists who say the deal will not benefit the Philippines and harms its sovereignty were expected to protest during Barack Obama’s visit.
The US used to have large bases in the Philippines but these were closed in the early 1990s. US troops have also been active in the southern Philippines, where al-Qaeda-linked militants are based.
In recent months, however, Washington and Manila have moved to strengthen ties again, as the Philippine relationship with China has deteriorated amid a more assertive stance from Beijing on its territorial claims.
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Philippine top court has approved a birth control law, in a defeat for the Catholic Church.
The law requires government health centers to distribute free contraceptive products.
The Supreme Court had deferred implementation after the law’s passage in December 2012 after church groups questioned its constitutionality.
Supporters of the law cheered as the court found that most of the provisions were constitutional.
The government of President Benigno Aquino defied years of church pressure by passing the bill.
Philippine top court has approved a birth control law, in a defeat for the Catholic Church
It says the law will help the poor, who often cannot afford birth control, and combat the country’s high rates of maternal mortality.
The provisions will make virtually all forms of contraception freely available at public health clinics.
Health education will also be compulsory in schools and public health workers will be required to receive family planning training.
There will also be medical care for women who have had illegal abortions.
The Philippines is about 80% Catholic, and with a population approaching 100 million, has one of the highest birth rates in Asia.
The church fought fiercely against the bill, denouncing it as evil and a threat to life. It denounced politicians who supported it, including President Benigno Aquino.
Campaigners have warned of potential civil obedience following the court ruling.
The Catholic Church has played a significant role in Philippine political life and continues to wield much influence over the population.
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A Chinese navy vessel harasses a Philippine supply boat off a disputed South China Sea island, in a spat witnessed by Western journalists on board.
Journalists on board of the Philippine ship have witnessed Chinese coast guard vessels trying to block access to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
One of the Chinese ships radioed to demand the crew turn around, or “take full responsibility” for their actions.
But the Philippine boat, ferrying food to troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal, managed to slip past.
The shoal is one of many flashpoints in the area, where several countries have overlapping territorial claims.
China claims a U-shaped swathe of the sea – creating multiple overlaps with areas claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.
Saturday’s incident, which took place at Second Thomas Shoal (known as Ayungin in Manila and Ren’ai Reef in Beijing), is a rare glimpse into the tensions that routinely play out in the disputed waters.
Journalists on board of the Philippine ship have witnessed Chinese coast guard vessels trying to block access to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea
Journalists say they saw two Chinese coast guard ships attempt to block the path of the Philippine boat, sending a radio message, in English, warning that it was entering Chinese territory: “We order you to stop immediately, stop all illegal activities and leave.”
But instead of leaving, the Philippine boat managed to manoeuvre away and enter waters that were too shallow for the Chinese ships to follow.
The captain of the Philippine vessel, Ferdinand Gato, later told Reuters news agency that if they had not changed direction, they would have collided with one of the Chinese vessels.
Philippine troops are stationed on a beached, rusting military ship on the shoal that analysts say has become a symbol of the country marking its territory.
Two weeks ago, Manila made a formal complaint to Beijing after a similar incident when Chinese vessels succeeded in blocking a resupply mission to the shoal.
Philippine planes resorted to air-dropping food and water supplies for the soldiers stationed on board the marooned ship.
The latest confrontation was witnessed by more than a dozen journalists.
They had been invited by the Philippine military to board the government vessel to show alleged bullying by Chinese vessels in the area.
The Chinese foreign ministry condemned the Philippines for trying to “hype up” the issue, according to a statement quoted by Xinhua news agency.
The ministry accused Manila of trying to “illegally seize” the shoal.
The incident comes a day before the Philippines is due to file a case against China with the UN tribunal in The Hague, challenging its territorial claim to most of the South China Sea.
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Four people, including a mayor, have been shot dead by gunmen at Manila airport in the Philippines, officials have said.
Ukol Talumpa, mayor of the southern town Labangan, and three others were hit while waiting outside the airport terminal.
Gunmen approached Ukol Talumpa and shot him and three others at close range, airport manager Jose Angel Honrado said.
The attackers then escaped. The motive behind the shootings is unclear.
Manila’s Ninoy Aquino airport handles international and domestic flights and was crowded at the time of the shooting.
“The mayor and his family and some security escorts were attacked,” Jose Angel Honrado said, adding that the mayor’s wife was also among the dead.
Ukol Talumpa, mayor of the southern town Labangan, and three others were hit while waiting outside the airport terminal
“Government agencies are trying their best to determine the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” he said.
The other two killed were a one-year-old boy and a 25-year-old man, AP news agency reported.
Four other people were reportedly wounded in the shooting.
The gunmen fled the scene on a motorcycle, Jose Angel Honrado said.
Police investigators were considering political rivalry as a possible motive for the attack, The Philippine Star newspaper reported.
Ukol Talumpa had survived two attacks before: an ambush in 2010 and a grenade attack in 2012.
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Typhoon Haiyan death toll has risen above 5,000, officials in the Philippines say, two weeks after the devastating storm hit the country.
Philippines’ National Disaster Agency says that 5,209 people are now known to have lost their lives, with many more still missing.
That makes Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, the deadliest natural disaster in the country’s history.
Floods in the Ormoc region in 1991 killed 5,101 people.
Haiyan was one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded.
Winds of up to 270km/h hit the central Philippines when it made landfall on November 8.
Parts of low-lying islands were completely flattened.
Eduardo del Rosario, executive director of the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said that more than four million people were displaced by the storm.
Over a million houses were damaged.
Typhoon Haiyan death toll has risen above 5,000, two weeks after the devastating storm hit Philippines
Many residents in the worst hit areas are still without proper shelter as they try to rebuild their homes.
Many residents in the worst hit areas are still without proper shelter as they try to rebuild their homes.
Eduardo del Rosario told the Associated Press news agency he believed the worst was over.
“In the first week we can say we were in the emergency room,” he told the agency.
“This second week we are now in the ICU [intensive care unit], still critical but stabilized.”
He said he believed that the number of dead reported in the city of Tacloban was likely to go up.
The capital of Leyte province has reported 1,725 deaths.
More than 1,600 people are missing across the affected region.
Most of the dead had been buried in mass graves, and many bodies were unidentified, Eduardo del Rosario said.
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According to Philippine officials, the number of people confirmed dead from Typhoon Haiyan now stands at 3,621.
UN and local agencies have issued conflicting tolls, and the final figure is likely to rise still higher.
One week after the storm, food and supplies are now beginning to reach survivors, but aid agencies say the logistics of distribution are enormous.
The Philippine government has defended its response to the disaster, one of the strongest storms ever on land.
The number of people confirmed dead from Typhoon Haiyan now stands at 3,621
The latest death toll of 3,621 issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council was up from the figure of 3,422 the interior secretary had given a few hours before.
The UN put the number of dead at 4,460. Officials said it was likely more bodies would be found as aid teams reached outlying areas.
Helicopters from a US aircraft carrier have been transporting supplies to the devastated town of Guiuan on the Pacific coast – the first to take the full force of the typhoon.
The carrier, USS George Washington, is expanding search-and-rescue operations and providing a platform for helicopters to move supplies.
Pallets loaded with food and water have been taken from the aircraft carrier to Tacloban, the capital of badly hit Leyte province, and Guiuan.
Philippines’ government says it is facing its biggest ever logistical challenge after Typhoon Haiyan, which affected as many as 11 million people.
Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras said the government had been overwhelmed by the impact of Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms on record.
The official death toll stands at more than 2,300, but local officials and aid workers say it could rise much higher.
Rene Almendras said the government had responded to the disaster “quite well”.
Aid is slowly beginning to arrive in the worst-affected regions.
US military planes have been arriving at Tacloban’s ruined airport on Wednesday, delivering World Food Programme supplies, which can be carried by helicopter to outlying regions, and a French-Belgian field hospital has been set up.
Typhoon Haiyan affected as many as 11 million people in Philippines
On Tuesday, eight people died when a wall collapsed as thousands of desperate survivors mobbed a food warehouse.
And on Wednesday there were reports of shots being fired in the street and of a teenaged boy being stabbed in the stomach.
With warehouses empty, the main concern for people still in Tacloban was food and water. Some survivors resorted to digging up water pipes for supplies.
On a visit to the city, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said aid was coming in but “the priority has got to be, let’s get the food in, let’s get the water in”.
Health officials warn the worst-affected areas are entering a peak danger period for the spread of infectious diseases.
Typhoon Haiyan – one of the most powerful storms ever recorded on land – hit the coastal Philippine provinces of Leyte and Samar on Friday.
It swept through six central Philippine islands before going on to kill several people in Vietnam and southern China.
Disaster management officials in the Philippines have put the confirmed death toll there at 2,344, with another 3,804 injured as of 20:00 local time. They said 79 people were still missing.
The head of the Philippines Red Cross, Gwendolyn Pang, also said she expected the official death toll to rise.
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UK and US ships were heading to the Philippines as the UN appealed for aid amid the large-scale devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan.
The US has deployed an aircraft carrier and navy ships to the Philippines, while the UK is sending a naval destroyer.
At least 10,000 people are feared to have been killed, and thousands of survivors desperately require aid.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has declared a state of national calamity.
In a statement, Benigno Aquino said the two worst affected provinces, Leyte and Samar, had suffered massive destruction and loss of life.
A huge international relief effort is under way, but rescue workers have struggled to reach areas cut off since the storm.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described images of the impact of the storm as “heartbreaking”.
The UN would launch a large-scale humanitarian plan, and allocate $25 million “to fund critical relief efforts”, Ban Ki-moon said.
“Many thousands of people are reported to have died and almost 10 million people have been affected… Let us all show our solidarity with the people of the Philippines at this time of need,” he added.
One of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall, Typhoon Haiyan – named “Yolanda” by Philippine authorities – struck the coastal provinces of Leyte and Samar on Friday.
Typhoon Haiyan then headed west, sweeping through six central Philippine islands.
Humanitarian aid needed at large scale after Typhoon Haiyan barreled through the Philippines over the weekend and killed an estimated 10,000 people
Air Force Capt Antonio Tamayo told AP news agency the scene in Tacloban, one of the worst-hit areas, was “overwhelming”.
“We need more medicine. We cannot give anti-tetanus vaccine shots because we have none.”
Officials said looting was widespread and order was proving difficult to enforce. Correspondents say many ordinary people are simply scavenging for the food and water needed to survive.
The government says it has deployed armored vehicles to Tacloban to deter looters.
“We are circulating [the vehicles] in the city to show the people, especially those with bad intentions, that the authorities have returned,” Interior Secretary Mar Roxas told DZMM radio.
In a statement, the US said that aircraft carrier USS George Washington and other navy ships should arrive in the Philippines “within 48-72 hours”.
“As needed, these ships and aircraft will be able to provide humanitarian assistance, supplies, and medical care in support of the ongoing efforts led by the government and military of the Republic of the Philippines,” the statement said.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Darling would soon head to the disaster zone from Singapore.
It would take five days to arrive but once in the Philippines would bring engineering and first aid expertise, as well as the use of a Lynx helicopter.
Other countries have also pledged millions of dollars in assistance. Japan is providing $10 million and Australia $9 million in humanitarian aid, while New Zealand has pledged over $1.5 million.
Reports from Tacloban say soldiers have been distributing food and water to some residents and the US military has sent marines to the city.
A Philippine military spokesman was quoted as saying on Monday that 942 people had died in the typhoon’s aftermath, though it is clear the official death toll will rise significantly.
UN humanitarian official John Ging said: “Many places are strewn with dead bodies.”
“The first priority of response teams, once they were able to navigate their way into these areas, is to mobilize the burial of dead bodies because of the public health issues,” he said.
“As we get more and more access we find the tragedy of more and more people killed in this typhoon,” he added.
International aid:
- Australia: Aus$10 million ($9.4 million), including medical personnel
- China: $100,000
- European Commission: 3 million euros ($4 million)
- Indonesia: Aircraft, personnel, drinking water, food, generators, medicine
- Japan: $10 million, 25 emergency medical personnel
- New Zealand: NZ$2.15 million ($1.7 million)
- Taiwan: $200,000
- UK: £10 million ($15 million) non-food aid package
- UN: central emergency relief fund: $25 million
- US: At least 180 marines and sailors, transporter planes, emergency food, water, shelter and hygiene materials
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President Benigno Aquino has declared a state of national calamity in Philippines in order to speed relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
In a statement, Benigno Aquino said the two worst affected provinces, Leyte and Samar, had suffered massive destruction and loss of life.
Thousands of survivors are still desperately waiting for the aid effort to reach them.
Up to 10,000 people are feared to have been killed.
Tacloban is one of the worst affected cities.
Hundreds of thousands more people have been displaced after the high winds and floodwaters destroyed their homes. Damage to roads and airports has delayed the delivery of aid.
One of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall, Typhoon Haiyan – named “Yolanda” by Filipino authorities – struck the coastal provinces of Leyte and Samar on Friday.
President Benigno Aquino has declared a state of national calamity in Philippines in order to speed relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Haiyan
It then headed west, sweeping through six central Philippine islands.
More than nine million people have been affected in the Philippines. Many are now struggling to survive without food, shelter or clean drinking water.
A huge international relief effort is under way, but rescue workers have struggled to reach some towns and villages cut off since the storm.
However, reports from Tacloban say that soldiers have been on the streets distributing food and water to some residents and the US military has sent marines to the city.
The head of the Philippine Red Cross, Richard Gordon, described the situation as “absolute bedlam”.
Jane Cocking, the humanitarian director for Oxfam, said her colleagues witnessed “complete devastation… entire parts of the coastline just disappeared”.
A Philippine military spokesman was quoted as saying on Monday that 942 people had died in the typhoon’s aftermath, though it is clear the official death toll will rise significantly.
Almost 630,000 people have been reported displaced.
Typhoon Haiyan’s aftermath in Philippines:
- The exposed easterly town of Guiuan, Samar province – population 40,000 – is said to be largely destroyed
- Tacloban, Leyte province, was largely flattened by a massive storm surge and scores of corpses are piled by the roadside, leaving a stench in the air as they rot, say correspondents. Hundreds of people have gathered at the airport desperate for food and water, others trying to get a flight out
- In the far north of Cebu province had shown some towns had suffered “80-90% damage”
- Baco, a city of 35,000 in Oriental Mindoro province, was 80% under water, the UN said.[youtube mAERAlp5bTk 650]
According to Philippine officials, around 10,000 people may have died in just one area hit by Typhoon Haiyan.
Typhoon Haiyan – one of the worst storms on record – destroyed homes, schools and an airport in the eastern city of Tacloban.
Neighboring Samar island was also badly affected, with reports of 300 people dead and 2,000 missing.
The Philippine government has so far only confirmed the deaths of 151 people throughout the country, but hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
Houses in Tacloban have been flattened by the massive storm surge that accompanied Typhoon Haiyan.
There’s no clean water, no electricity and very little food.
City officials said they were struggling to distribute aid and that looting was widespread.
The typhoon is now bearing down on Vietnam. More than 600,000 people have been evacuated in northern provinces.
At least four people were reported killed there, apparently while trying to escape the storm.
Typhoon Haiyan is expected to make landfall south of Hanoi on Monday afternoon local time, although it will have decreased markedly in strength.
Typhoon Haiyan, one of the worst storms on record, destroyed homes, schools and an airport in the eastern city of Tacloban
Philippine Interior Secretary Mar Roxas says the scale of the relief operation that is now required is overwhelming, with some places described as a wasteland of mud and debris.
“From a helicopter, you can see the extent of devastation. From the shore and moving a kilometre inland, there are no structures standing. It was like a tsunami,” he told Reuters news agency.
“I don’t know how to describe what I saw. It’s horrific.”
Tecson Lim, city administrator of Tacloban, told the Associated Press that the death toll in the city alone “could go up to 10,000”.
Police chief Elmer Soria said about 70% to 80% of the area in the path of the storm in Leyte province was destroyed.
He said most of the deaths were from drowning or collapsed buildings.
“Tacloban is totally destroyed. Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families,” high school teacher Andrew Pomeda told AFP news agency.
“People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food, rice and milk… I am afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger.”
Meanwhile Leo Dacaynos, an official in Eastern Samar province, told local radio 300 people had been found dead in a single town, Basey, with another 2,000 missing and many injured.
Communication is still limited in many areas.
The latest report from the Philippines’ Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council confirmed 151 deaths on Saturday. It said almost 480,000 people had been reported displaced.
Thousands of troops have been deployed to the disaster zones. However, rescuers are struggling to get to remote areas, hampered by debris and damaged roads.
Typhoon Haiyan – one of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall – swept through six central Philippine islands on Friday.
It brought sustained winds of 147mph, with gusts of 170 mph, with waves as high as 45ft, bringing up to 15.75 inches of rain in places.
The Pentagon has announced it is providing the Philippines with naval and aviation resources to help with humanitarian relief efforts.
In a statement, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the US was delivering helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and search and rescue equipment after a request from the Philippines government.
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Red Cross officials estimate that at least 1,200 people were killed by Typhoon Haiyan, the largest storm ever to make landfall in Philippines.
Typhoon Haiyan struck Philippines early Friday and survivors of the storm described towering waves that swept away all but the hardiest shelters.
Survivors were described as being in desperate need of clean drinking water and food as officials continue to survey the damage.
Typhoon Haiyan packed sustained winds of 147 mph, with gusts up to 170 mph, and heavy rains when it made landfall early Friday. By those measurements, Haiyan would be comparable to a strong Category 4 hurricane in the US, and nearly in the top category, a 5.
Red Cross officials estimate that at least 1,200 people were killed by Typhoon Haiyan in Philippines
Authorities said it flattened hundreds of homes and triggered mudslides, flash flooding and a storm surge with waves of up to 30 feet. Authorities said almost 800,000 people were evacuated to emergency shelters.
So far, government officials have confirmed just 138 deaths. At least 118 of those were on hardest-hit Leyte Island, where Tacloban is located, national disaster agency spokesman Major Reynaldo Balido told The Associated Press.
But Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, said preliminary counts from teams on the ground indicated that at least 1,200 people had perished – 1,000 people in Tacloban and at least 200 more in the Samar province.
Gwendolyn Pang said the numbers came from preliminary reports by Red Cross teams on the ground.
The weather system was downgraded overnight from a “super typhoon” to a typhoon, and was making its way toward Vietnam.
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Typhoon Haiyan has hit the central Philippines with sustained winds of 146 mph.
Meteorologists say that if initial estimates based on satellite images are borne out, it could be the most powerful storm ever to make landfall.
The storm has forced millions in vulnerable areas to seek shelter across 20 provinces, officials say.
The region was already struggling to recover from a powerful earthquake last month.
The authorities have warned that more than 12 million people are at risk from the category-five storm, including in Cebu, the country’s second largest city with a population of 2.5 million.
The storm – known locally as Yolanda – was not expected to directly hit the capital Manila, further north.
Schools and offices closed, while ferry services and local flights were suspended. Hospitals and soldiers are on stand-by for rescue and relief operations.
The extent of the damage remains unclear, with authorities saying phone-lines are down in many areas.
The governor of the Southern Leyte province, Roger Mercado, tweeted on Friday morning that fallen trees were blocking roads, hampering the emergency effort.
A spokesperson for the British Red Cross, Nichola Jones, who is in Tagbilaran in Bohol, says the typhoon passed by in the past hour.
Typhoon Haiyan has hit the central Philippines with sustained winds of 146 mph
“We’ve lost power and a few roof-tiles but it’s not too bad. But I think to the North – that’s the area that has borne the brunt. Those were the areas worst hit by the earthquake last month.”
In the worst-hit areas of Samar and Leyte, she says there are reports of collapsed buildings, including a hotel.
“In Cebu they have had quite a battering and I spoke to our colleagues and they’ve had quite strong winds and are locked down in their hotels. They are waiting to see what the situation is.”
Jeff Masters, meteorology director at the private firm Weather Underground, said in a blog post that the damage from Haiyan’s winds must have been “perhaps the greatest wind damage any city on Earth has endured from a tropical cyclone in the past century”.
State meteorologist Romeo Cajulis told AFP news agency Typhoon Haiyan had made landfall over Guiuan at 04:40.
The typhoon arrived with gusts of up to 170 mph, the Philippines’ weather service said in its bulletin, issued at 05:00 local time.
The US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, which typically gives higher readings as they are based on a shorter period of time, said shortly before Haiyan’s landfall that its maximum sustained winds were 195 mph, with gusts up to 235 mph.
Waves as high as 15ft could be seen from the islands of Leyte and Samar, Reuters news agency reported.
The storm is forecast to move over to the South China Sea north of Palawan Island on Saturday, meteorologists say.
In its path are areas already struggling to recover from a 7.3-magnitude earthquake last month, including the worst-hit island of Bohol.
About 5,000 people are still living in tents in Bohol after losing their homes in the quake, which killed more than 200 people.
Earlier, President Benigno Aquino warned people to leave storm-prone areas and urged seafarers to stay in port.
“No typhoon can bring Filipinos to their knees if we’ll be united,” he said in a televised address.
Meteorologists in the Philippines warned that Haiyan could be as devastating as Typhoon Bopha in 2012.
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Typhoon Haiyan is heading for Philippines and is expected to strike central parts of the country on Friday.
Typhoon Haiyan, a category five storm, is moving towards the South East Asian nation with winds of up to 173 mph.
Some schools have already been closed and evacuations are under way in some areas.
Ferry operations have been suspended and fishing boats ordered back to port.
Typhoon Haiyan is expected to make landfall around noon on Friday between the islands of Samar and Leyte.
It is predicted to hit central areas already struggling to recover from a 7.3-magnitude earthquake last month, including the worst-hit island of Bohol.
Typhoon Haiyan is heading for Philippines and is expected to strike central parts of the country on Friday
Around 5,000 people are still living in tents in Bohol after losing their homes in the quake.
Meteorologists in the Philippines warned that Haiyan could be as devastating as Typhoon Botha in 2012.
Botha devastated parts of the southern Philippines, leaving at least 1,000 people dead and causing more than $1 billion in damage.
“This is a very dangerous typhoon, local officials know where the vulnerable areas are and have given instructions on evacuations,” state weather forecaster Glaiza Escullar told AFP.
“There are not too many mountains on its path to deflect the force of impact, making it more dangerous.”
Haiyan is the 25th typhoon to enter Philippines territory this year.
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The death toll from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Philippines yesterday continues to rise.
At least 99 people died in the quake, which hit the central Philippines on Tuesday, a national holiday.
Residents have described ongoing aftershocks on Wednesday morning, with many afraid to return to their homes.
The earthquake struck below the island of Bohol, where the most casualties were reported.
Philippines earthquake struck below the island of Bohol, where the most casualties were reported
People were also killed in the province of Cebu, and historic churches, as well as roads, markets and buildings, were reported damaged on both islands.
The air force was carrying 24,000 lb of relief supplies to affected residents in Bohol province, Reuters news agency reported, citing a military spokesman.
Minda Morante, civil defense chief for the central islands, told AFP news agency that she expected the death toll to rise.
“We expect the number to increase considering there are still areas that need search and rescue [personnel] and there are areas where they need more aid,” Minda Morante said.
Philippines President Benigno Aquino is expected to visit the affected areas on Wednesday.
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A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has hit the central Philippines, killing at least 20 people, reports say.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck underneath the island of Bohol, in a region popular with tourists.
People were killed as buildings and markets collapsed in Bohol and nearby Cebu province. Several buildings and churches were damaged by the quake.
The quake struck at 08:12 on a national holiday in Philippines.
Officials say that most of those killed were in Cebu, considered the second major city in the country.
At least five people died when part of a fishing port collapsed, reports the Associated Press (AP) news agency. Two more people died and others were injured when a roof at a market fell, AP adds.
Neil Sanchez, head of the Cebu disaster management office, told broadcaster ABS-CBN that they were trying to confirm reports that a school had collapsed.
Several buildings and churches were damaged by the Philippines earthquake
“Communication lines are quite difficult here,” he said.
“Even the disaster risk reduction management office has been damaged. We had to move elsewhere.”
The tremor triggered power outages in parts of Bohol, Cebu and neighboring areas, reports cited Philippines’ disaster management agency as saying.
Edgardo Chatto, the governor of Bohol, said that a church and a city hall building were damaged.
At least four people have been reported killed in Bohol and one on neighboring Siquijor island, reports say.
British man David Venables, who has lived in Cebu for seven years, said it was the strongest quake he had experienced.
“It’s a very strange and frightening experience when the very foundations of the house and surrounding area shake uncontrollably,” he said.
There were reports of aftershocks following the quake.
Cebu province, with a population of more than 2.6 million, is about an hour away by plane from Manila. Neighboring Bohol, a favorite of tourists because of its sandy beaches, is a short boat ride away from Cebu.
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At least 26 people have died and more than 200 are missing after MV Thomas Aquinas ferry collided with a cargo ship and sank off the Philippines.
The MV Thomas Aquinas was in collision with the cargo vessel on Friday evening near the central city of Cebu, officials said.
The ship was carrying 752 passengers and 118 crew, according to latest coast guard figures.
The incident took place around 1.2 miles from the shore.
The ferry was sailing into the port at Cebu – the country’s second biggest city – when it collided with the cargo ship travelling the other way at about 21:00 local time.
“The impact was very strong,” Rachel Capuno, a spokesperson for the owners of the ferry, told local radio.
Survivors said hundreds of passengers jumped into the ocean as the ferry began taking on water and listing. The crew distributed life jackets.
Many of the passengers were asleep and others struggled to find their way in the dark, reports said.
One survivor, Jerwin Agudong, said he and other passengers jumped overboard in front of the cargo vessel.
At least 26 people have died and more than 200 are missing after MV Thomas Aquinas ferry collided with a cargo ship and sank off the Philippines
“It seems some people were not able to get out,” Jerwin Agudong told radio station DZBB.
“I pity the children. We saw dead bodies on the side, and some being rescued.”
The ferry sank within 30 minutes of the collision, the AFP news agency reports.
Rear Admiral Luis Tuason of the coast guard said navy divers recovered at least four more bodies from the wreck early on Saturday.
“There could be more bodies there but there were ropes inside that our divers could get entangled in,” he said.
The coast guard is to send more divers with deep-water equipment to help recover bodies, he added.
Another coast guard official told reporters that the cargo ship, Sulpicio Express 7, had 36 crew members on board, but it did not sink.
Passengers on the ferry had embarked at Nasipit in the southern province of Agusan del Sur.
The coastguard and some commercial vessels were able to pick up more than 600 survivors.
The 11,000 tonne ferry was 40 years old, and operated by a Chinese-owned company called 2Go.
The company became the largest ferry operator in the Philippines three years ago, following a merger of several smaller firms, our correspondent adds.
Joy Villages, an official at the coastguard’s public affairs office headquarters in Manila, told AFP it was too early to determine the cause of Friday’s collision.
She said the Thomas Aquinas was a “roll-on, roll-off” ferry that allows vehicles to be driven aboard and is commonly used in the Philippines.
Maritime accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of tropical weather, badly maintained passenger boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations.
The world’s worst maritime disaster in peacetime occurred in the Philippines in December 1987. More than 4,000 people died when the Dona Paz ferry collided with a tanker.
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