Philippines : Survivors beg for food after passage of typhoon that left 10000 dead

Local authorities in the Philippines believe that at least 10,000 people died in the central province of Leyte , because of the direct impact of Hiyan super typhoon on Friday . The calculation was made by some authorities in the region, but the insecurity in communications prevents any accurate reporting of the situation.

" We had a meeting last night with the governor and other officials. The governor said that based on its estimate , 10,000 were killed," the commissioner Elmer Soria to Reuters news agency .

For its part, the Philippine government has only confirmed the deaths of a few hundred people . However, Interior Minister , Mar Roxas , said the scale of the relief operation is overwhelming.

From Tacloban airport , one of the cities most affected by the super typhoon , the BBC's Rupert Wingfield -Hayes described scenes of utter devastation.
" The airport facilities are destroyed but hundreds of people line up to take any plane that out of here , because there is no water , no food , no electricity , and there are already rumors of looting in the city."

Typhoon survivors in Philippines struggle for aid

Crammed into hospitals and any infrastructure that can serve as a refuge , residents of Tacloban make calls to emergency agencies approach them food and water and remember the previous hours.
" I can not swim , my husband did . Then told him to save our baby and forget about me. Which did what he had to do, I understand ", said Faith Pelies while holding her baby in her arms .

"We need rice, but we have no water to cook the rice ," he added .

Jeannette Bacsal still can not believe how he is alive : " My father knows how to swim but I did not , so I feel so blessed to have survived."

Besides access to commodities, the survivors struggle to find their loved ones in other parts of the country . In Cebu City , Conception Sandra says she learned that her mother was saved in nearby Ormoc thanks to a call from a friend, but have not been able to talk to her.

" No news of Ormoc , Tacloban only . For me it's terrible not knowing anything . Some friends sent text messages telling that hid in closets, while roofs were flying their former homes . 's House my mother suffered breakages windows and doors but she hid in the bathroom " .

The Philippine government expects precautionary evacuation operations have helped to save many lives. However, he acknowledges that with the passage of the storm over twelve million people were at risk , mostly in a region already struggling to recover from a recent earthquake.

Even from areas that were not carried Haiyan worst balance sheets have come massive destruction.

" The storm was very strong, but was not directly hit Surigao , noticed his anger early in the morning ," said Diosdado Homemade Protestant pastor .
" The large concrete buildings endured it well, but wooden houses with tile or plywood roofs have suffered much damage , especially on the roofs ," he added .

The storm made landfall in the Philippines shortly before dawn Friday with sustained winds of 314 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 379 , according to estimates by the Joint Typhoon Warning U.S. Navy

Haiyan , also known as Yolanda , passed through the islands of Leyte and Samar turning roads into rivers.

Another of the most affected was the city of Cebu , the second most populous country with 2.5 million inhabitants . Although the eye of the storm passed well south of Manila, the capital also felt its force.

Schools and offices were closed , while transport services were suspended sea and air . Personal military hospital and was in emergency situation hypothetical rescue operations.

Forecasters had warned that it could become as destructive as the typhoon Bopha , who in 2012 left at least 1,000 dead in Philippines.

The former correspondent in Manila Kate McGeown BBC said that although they are already starting to get reports of some of the affected cities , there is very little information in rural areas .

Road to Vietnam and China

It is expected that over the weekend come to Vietnam , where authorities have started evacuating up to 100,000 people are expected areas most vulnerable .

State media have reported that schools were closed and people living near the coast are being taken to temporary shelters on higher ground .

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dun , is personally overseeing the preparations for the storm that is expected to have lost steam when hit land in your country.

China has also activated the yellow warning of the imminent arrival of the storm , according to state television , CCTV .

The media announced strong winds and torrential rains. However, China has not ordered any evacuations .