Philippines death toll from Typhoon Haiyan tops 6,000

Officials say the death toll from Typhoon Haiyan that struck the central Philippines on 8 November has breached 6,000 with nearly 1,800 people still reported missing. [caption id=“attachment_1285215” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Clearing up operations after Haiyan: AP[/caption] The government’s disaster response agency said that 6,009 people have been confirmed dead while 1,779 others remain unaccounted for. The typhoon is the deadliest natural disaster on record to hit the Philippines. Maj. Reynaldo Balido, spokesman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, says at least 20 bodies are still being found daily under debris in the hardest hit city of Tacloban. Overnight, 27 deaths were added to the toll. The homes of more than 16 million people were either flattened or damaged, and officials say rebuilding will take at least three years. Associated Press