Haiyan Live: Official death toll of typhoon estimated at 942

3.00 pm: Official death toll estimated at 942 The Philippine military says it has confirmed 942 people have died in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Military spokesman Lt. Jim Alagao said Monday that 275 others were confirmed missing from the storm, one of the strongest on record. The death toll is expected to rise considerably. Two provincial officials predicted Sunday that it could reach 10,000 or more. 1.00 pm: World governments, agencies begin major relief effort for typhoon Haiyan The U.S. and other governments and agencies are mounting a major relief effort to help victims of the Philippine typhoon. Brian Goldbeck, acting ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, issued a disaster declaration to provide an immediate $100,000 for relief efforts. Officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development are deployed around the country to monitor the damage. Australia announced assistance of 10 million Australian dollars ($9.4 million). That includes the deployment of an emergency medical team, aid to the U.N. Flash Appeal and aid to Australian non-governmental organizations for immediate life-saving assistance. The United Nations World Food Programme said it has allocated $2 million for the disaster response and officials joined an assessment mission to survey damage in Leyte and Samar provinces. WFP said it will send more than 40 tons of high energy biscuits and work with the Filipino government to help with logistics and emergency communications systems. It asks for donations at www.wfpusa.org or by texting the word AID to 27722 to instantly donate $10. UNICEF said its staff in the Philippines is being repositioned to help in relief efforts and 66 tons of emergency supplies are being sent from Copenhagen. An airlift set to arrive on Tuesday will include water purification systems, storage equipment and sanitation supplies. Donations can be made to UNICEF at unicef.org/support. 12.20 pm: Stunned survivors pick through the remains of their homes, plead for food and medicine Authorities at least 2 million people in 41 provinces had been affected by Friday’s disaster and at least 23,000 houses had been damaged or destroyed. In parts of the coast, large areas had been transformed into twisted piles of debris, with decomposing bodies trapped underneath. “In some cases the devastation has been total,” said Secretary to the Cabinet Rene Almendras. “Please tell my family I’m alive,” said Erika Mae Karakot, a survivor on Leyte island, as she lined up for aid. “We need water and medicine because a lot of the people we are with are wounded. Some are suffering from diarrhea and dehydration due to shortage of food and water.” The U.S. military dispatched water, generators and a contingent of Marines to the worst-hit city along the country’s remote eastern seaboard, the first outside help in what will swell into a major international relief mission in the coming days. Two U.S. C-130 transport planes flew from Manila’s Vilamor air base to Tacloban, a city in Leyte province that was badly hit by the storm. From the air, the city resembled a garbage dump punctuated by a few concrete buildings that remained standing. “We are moving in supplies for the Filipino government,” said Marine Capt. Cassandra Gesecki . “That’s what they asked us to do.” Survivors wandered through the remains of their flattened wooden homes looking to salvage belongings or to search for loved ones. An Associated Press reporter in the town said he saw around 400 special forces and soldiers patrolling its downtown area, where residents have been seen breaking into malls, shops and homes, taking food, water and consumer goods. “I have no house, I have no clothes. I don’t know how I will restart my life, I am so confused,” an unidentified woman said, crying. “I don’t know what happened to us. We are appealing for help. Whoever has a good heart, I appeal to you — please help Guiuan.” 11.50 am: Haiyan makes landfall in Vietnam 

Haiyan made landfall in northern Vietnam early Monday as a tropical storm, just days after leaving massive destruction in the Philippines. The Vietnamese national weather forecast agency said Haiyan made landfall in northern province of Quang Ninh at 5 a.m. as a tropical storm and was moving toward southern China, where it is expected to weaken to a low depression later Monday. No casualties or major damage have been reported. It slammed into six central Philippine islands on Friday as the strongest typhoon of the year and one of the strongest on record. It appears to be the deadliest storm — and natural disaster — on record to hit the Philippines, with officials saying that as many as 10,000 people are feared dead. Later Monday, the storm was expected to enter southern China and further weaken while dropping torrential rains on the provinces of Guangxi and Hunan. Guangxi officials advised fishermen to stay onshore and told residents to take precautions against flooding and landslides. 11.20 am: US relief flight heads for typhoon-hit region

A US military plane carrying relief supplies and a contingent of Marines has left the Philippine capital en route to the country’s typhoon-devastated eastern seaboard. The C-130 left Manila’s Vilamor air base on Monday loaded with bottled water, generators wrapped in plastic, a forklift and two trucks. It was the first American relief flight to the region, where thousands are feared dead and tens of thousands more homeless as a result of Friday’s typhoon. The flight was headed for Tacloban, a city badly hit by the storm and in desperate need of assistance.

9.20 am: Japan to send medical team to Philippines Japan says it will send a 25-member relief team of mostly medical staff to the Philippines to provide aid in the wake of the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Thousands are believed to have been killed in the typhoon that swept through the central part of the Philippines on Friday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference Monday: “We will provide as much support as we can to accommodate the needs of the disaster-hit areas and the Philippine government.” The government has sent two Foreign Ministry officials to the Philippines to assess the extent of damage. The aid team will consist of doctors, nurses and pharmacists from the Japan Disaster Relief Team. 9.00 am: Blocked roads, damaged airports slow down aid process Rescuers faced blocked roads and damaged airports on Monday as they raced to deliver desperately needed tents, food and medicines to the typhoon-devastated eastern Philippines where thousands are believed dead. Survivors wandered through the remains of their flattened wooden homes looking to salvage belongings or to search for loved ones. Very little assistance had reached the city, residents reported. Some took food, water and consumer goods from abandoned shops, malls and homes. “This area has been totally ravaged”, said Sebastien Sujobert, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Tacloban. “Many lives were lost, a huge number of people are missing, and basic services such as drinking water and electricity have been cut off,” he said. He said both the Philippine Red Cross and the ICRC offices in Tacloban had been damaged, forcing staff to relocate temporarily. 8.50 am: Viber allows Philippine users to call non-Viber numbers Internet free calling service Viber is letting Philippine users call regular (non-Viber) overseas numbers for free, in light of families being unable to contact their loved ones. “In light of the current situation in the Philippines, we are opening a temporary service, allowing Filipino users to call regular (non Viber) numbers outside of the Philippines for free. Please note that this is not a final product, so not all countries are supported and quality may vary. You may have to restart your phone for this to work,” says the website. The temporary service is available now, and to call someone, users have to go to any contact and tap any of the numbers listed next to “Viber Out.” Usually, if a Viber user calls a non-Viber user, it will go through as a normal overseas call with regular charges. All numbers (both landline and mobile) are supported in a handful of countries, while landline-only numbers are supported in a wider range of regions — as listed on Viber’s site. 8.00 am: Typhoon Haiyan makes landfall in Vietnam Haiyan made landfall in northern Vietnam early Monday as a tropical storm, just days after leaving massive destruction in the Philippines. The Vietnamese national weather forecast agency said Haiyan made landfall in northern province of Quang Ninh at 5 a.m. as a tropical storm and was moving toward southern China, where it is expected to weaken to a low depression later Monday. No casualties or major damage have been reported. 8.10 pm: Haiyan strongest typhoon to hit Phillipines, say officials Typhoon Haiyan, which slammed into six central Philippine islands on Friday, is the strongest typhoon of the year and one of the strongest storms on record. It also appears to be the deadliest storm — and natural disaster — on record to hit the Philippines, with officials saying that as many as 10,000 people are believed dead. Here is a raw unedited footage of the deadly typhoon.

Here is a list of the deadliest storms to lash the Philippines before Haiyan: TROPICAL STORM THELMA, Nov. 2-7, 1991, 5,101 deaths The storm dumped heavy rain onto the central Philippines’ Leyte Island, triggering flash floods that swept people, homes and vehicles into the sea in Ormoc City, causing most of the deaths. People were also killed elsewhere on Leyte and other central islands. TYPHOON BOPHA, Dec. 3, 2012, 1,900 deaths Powerful winds and floodwaters from the typhoon flattened homes as it smashed ashore on southern Davao Oriental province. Continuing westward, it blew over mountains, with heavy rains triggering flash floods in nearby Compostela Valley province that washed down tons of mud and boulders on helpless communities. For more, read here . 6.30 pm: Typhoon headed for Vietnam, landfall expected soon Kate Hodal, The Guardian ’s Southeast Asia correspondent reports “The typhoon is now heading towards Vietnam, where the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said Haiyan should be making landfall around the central Quang Binh/Thanh Hoa provinces right about now.” According to AlJazeera, Vietnam’s weather bureau said Haiyan “is quickly moving north and northwest, travelling at a speed of up to 35 kilometers per hour.” The typhoon is expected to hit Vietnam as category 1 storm. 600000 people have been evacuated in Vietnam keeping in mind the impending disaster. 6.10 pm: Rescue effort hampered by debris and damaged roads Even as rescue efforts are on in complete swing, access in proving to be a challenge because of the damaged roads and debris. Helicopters are trying to reach the disaster hit areas. Pope Francis has also pleaded for aid for the victims in the mostly Catholic country, saying: “Sadly, there are many, many victims and the damage is huge. Let’s try to provide concrete help.” 5.30 pm: 300 soldiers and police to control law and order in Tacloban, says Philippines Pres Phillipines President Benigno Aquino said the government had deployed 300 soldiers and police to restore order and that he was considering introducing martial law or a state of emergency in Tacloban to ensure security. “Tonight, a column of armored vehicles will be arriving in Tacloban to show the government’s resolve and to stop this looting,” he told Reuters. Many news agencies are reporting that there is large scale loot in Tacloban in several stores in search of food and water, though like The Guardian notes the use of the word ’loot’ in the context of deprivation after a large scale natural disaster is questionable. 4.20 pm: Over 1.7 million children affected, says UNICEF After assessing the initial disaster wrought by Super Typhoon Haiyan, UNICEF said that over 1.7 million children were hit as they were residents of the areas hit by the emergency. “With some 36 provinces reported by the government to have been hit by the typhoon - the strongest ever to have made landfall anywhere in the world - we know that a significant number of children will have been badly affected,” said UNICEF’s representative in the Philippines Tomoo Hozumi. The priority for UNICEF will now life-saving interventions – getting essential medicines, nutrition supplies, safe water and hygiene supplies to children and families, according to the press release. The supplies are due to reach Philippines by 12 November. 3.45 pm: After devastation, rioting and looting After the devastation, there were widespread reports of looting and rioting in Tacloban city, the worst hit after Saturday’s landfall of Super Typhoon Haiyan. A CNN report said national police and military personnel had to be sent on Sunday to prevent looting in Tacloban. “News video showed people breaking into grocery stores and cash machines in the city, where there had been little evidence of authority since midday Friday. The store break-ins were attributable to a severe lack of food,” the report said. Officials in Tacloban were also urging Philippines President Benigno Aquino III to declare a state of emergency and bring in martial law to restore order in the town according to this report. 3.10 pm: The devastation in images. And an unusual way to assist relief workers The devastation as seen from choppers, residents looking among dead bodies for loved ones, queues waiting for relief material, the completely destroyed Air Traffic Control tower of the Tacloban airport – all these in pictures here and here. You can also view aerial footage of the devastation on Youtube here. Patrick Meier, director of Social Innovation at the Qatar Foundation’s Computing research Institute in Qatar, is using some new fangled “crisis mapping tools” to use the wealth of information on social media to actually aid relief operations. He uses tools including the new MicroMappers  site to sift through data and then posts this information on satellite maps for aid agencies to view – a real-time database of those in need, built through crowdsourcing. Read all about Meier here. 2.45 pm: Trauma not yet over for Philippines, second disturbance looms While the worst may be over, the Philippines and surrounding islands face another threat mid-week, possibly hampering relief efforts in the storm-ravaged areas, said reports. For one, a tropical disturbance located north of Papua New Guinea could hit Philippines Tuesday night or Wednesday, bringing more rain and thundershowers to the area, said a report on Accuweather.com. “While the danger from Haiyan has left the Philippines, another tropical threat looms for the upcoming days,” the report says. While this disturbance is much weaker than Haiyan, the disturbance is “still expected to strengthen into a tropical storm and will return heavy rain to the areas devastated by Haiyan”. About 100 to 200 mm of rain is predicted in the coming days which, given that the ground is already saturated with rainfall from Haiyan, could cause inundation, mud-slides and flash floods. Meanwhile, authorities also prepared for Haiyan’s second landfall, possibly in Vietnam. “The typhoon is now bearing down on Vietnam,” said BBC. More than 600,000 people have been evacuated there. According to the report: The BBC Weather Centre says the typhoon is expected to make landfall south of Hanoi on Monday afternoon local time (between 03:00 and 09:00 GMT), although it will have decreased markedly in strength. 1.45 pm: Relief teams, volunteers get to work, international aid starts to come in USA Today reported that the Obama administration committed an initial US $ 100,000 for healthcare, clean water and sanitation. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel directed the US Pacific Command to deploy ships and aircraft to support search and rescue operations and airlift emergency supplies, said a Defense department release as reported by USA Today. “Today our hearts go out to the Filipino people,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “The United States can and must do everything in our power to assist our friend and ally in dealing with the devastating consequences of this storm, and to help meet the needs of the Filipino people in addressing this disaster." Joining the relief effort are the United Nations World Food Programme which has allocated $ 2 milion, Unicef which is sending 66 tonnes of emergency supplies from Copenhagen that will arrive on Tuesday, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision and other agencies, said a Fox News report. The American Red Cross is also offering family tracing services for people seeking to locate missing family members. Google also deployed its personfinder to help people look for or offer information about missing persons. 11.50 am: Crisis on the scale of 2004 tsunami, says UN disaster team   The humanitarian crisis in Tacloban and in other parts of the Philippines could be much greater than after any other disaster in rceent years, going by early reports of the destruction left behind by Super Typhoon Haiyan. The New York Times quoted a release from a United Nations disaster assessment team which visited the area on Saturday. According to the report: “The last time I saw something of this scale was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami,” Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, the head of the team, said in a statement, referring to the 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of Indonesia and other countries. “This is destruction on a massive scale. There are cars thrown like tumbleweed.” In a video on the Reuters website, Philippines Interior Secretary Mar Roxas says the counting of the dead has not even begun. (An earlier Reuters report quoted a city police official and an administrator in Tacloban as estimating the number of casualties in their town alone at 10,000.) Some reports said the the deadliest storm until now in Philippines was the 1991 Tropical Storm Thelma, which killed more than 5,000 people. The destruction in Haiyan’s wake could be greater, reports said. “I don’t have the words for it… It’s really horrific, it’s a great human tragedy. There’s no power, there’s no light. By the time the sun sets, it’s dark, and you’re just going to have to make your way to where you can find some shelter,” he says to Reuters. Roxas also said there was no radio or cellphone communication available to connect with local officials in Tacloban. This Youtube video shows the injured and women in a hotel or residential complex being taken to safety on floating mattresses as water levels rise inside.  There’s rain water gushing down stairs of a plush residence and residents in waist-high water inside. 11.05 am: The devastation, from the eyes of a storm-chaser A group of three stormchasers’ account of watching in horror from a hotel in downtown Tacloban as first-floor residents nearly drowning is perhaps the most vivid eyewitness account yet of the devastation in the town.   ‘Hardcore hurricane chasing’ Josh Morgerman and his team known as iCyclone posted pictures and an update on Tacloban on Facebook. The city is a horrid landscape of smashed buildings and completely defoliated trees, with widespread looting and unclaimed bodies decaying in the open air. The typhoon moved fast and didn’t last long– only a few hours– but it struck the city with absolutely terrifying ferocity. At the height of the storm, as the wind rose to a scream, as windows exploded and as our solid-concrete downtown hotel trembled from the impact of flying debris, as pictures blew off the walls and as children became hysterical, a tremendous storm surge swept the entire downtown. Waterfront blocks were reduced to heaps of rubble. In our hotel, trapped first-floor guests smashed the windows of their rooms to keep from drowning and screamed for help, and we had to drop our cameras and pull them out on mattresses and physically carry the elderly and disabled to the second floor. Mark’s leg was ripped open by a piece of debris and he’ll require surgery. The city has no communication with the outside world. The hospitals are overflowing with the critically injured. The surrounding communities are mowed down. After a bleak night in a hot, pitch-black, trashed hotel, James, Mark, and I managed to get out of the city on a military chopper and get to Cebu via a C-130– sitting next to corpses in body bags. Other accounts reiterated that the city had been all but razed, homes along the shores were wiped out, millions were homeless. Social news network Rappler’s Rupert Ambil who arrived in the Philippines on Saturday on a military plane was quoted as saying “Having grown up in the region, I could barely recognize Tacloban. It’s like the city had been bulldozed and I was in a different time and place. I saw devastation. I smelled death. I fear anarchy.” 10.15 am: Nearly 1.7 million Philippine children affected IANS reported that up to 1.7 million Philippine children could be affected by super typhoon Haiyan, which tore through the country over the last 48 hours. Xinhua quoted Unicef’s representative in the Philippines Tomoo Hozumi as saying that the agency’s priorities would be  life-saving interventions – getting essential medicines, nutrition supplies, safe water and hygiene supplies to children and families. Unicef will join assessment teams as soon as conditions permit access to the worst hit regions.  At least 36 provinces have been hit by the typhoon.   9.20 am: Airport shut, land or sea route for relief supplies could cause delays While the Philippines Red Cross sent its assessment team to Tacloban, the worst hit city in the aftermath of the super typhoon’s landfall, getting relief material and equipment into the ravaged town was proving to be difficult. The city’s airport is shut for the next two days at least. A boat could take nearly two days, said reports, and a road route may not be available for two to three days. Philippine National Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon told CNN that it was an “awful, awful situation”. [caption id=“attachment_122081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  One of the affected areas in the Philippines islands. AP[/caption] The World Food Programme also hopes to send food for about 120,000 people. 9 am: Tacloban worst hit, toll could go up to 10,000 A day after Super Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the Philippines islands, even as the death toll was estimated to be anywhere between 1,200 and 10,000, authorities prepared for a second landfall on Monday. The government had counted 151 dead, but over 4 lakh people had fled their homes to safer places. The total number of people affected was ten times as many. Haiyan, one of the “Strongest typhoons ever to make landfall in recorded history” left the streets of the city of Tacloban in the eastern Leyte province worst affected. According to AP , regional police chief Elmer Soria said he was briefed by Leyte provincial Gov. Dominic Petilla who said there could be about 10,000 deaths in the province, mostly by drowning and from collapsed buildings. The governor’s figure was based on reports from village officials in areas where Typhoon Haiyan slammed Friday. Hospitals in Leyte were destroyed too, reported CNN,  and the Department of Health had sought help from the WHO.