One of the world's strongest typhoons was feared to have killed more than 1,000 people in the Philippines, where it displaced hundreds of thousands and caused widespread devastation before blowing out towards Vietnam on Saturday, dpa reported. Typhoon Haiyan tore through the eastern and central Philippines on Friday, flattening homes, toppling power lines and knocking out communications. Fierce winds ripped roofs off buildings as raging floodwaters swept debris and left vehicles piled on top of each other on the battered streets. The official death toll was 138, according to the national disaster relief agency. But its spokesman, Reynaldo Balido, said the toll was expected to jump as reports trickle in from badly hit areas where communications have been destroyed. Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, said it was "estimated (that) over a 1,000 people died" in the eastern provinces of Leyte and Samar.
