New details have emerged regarding the death toll in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan, a devastating storm that has caused colossal damage in the Philippines over the weekend.
Although it was initially projected that the Category 5 storm caused the deaths of at least 10,000 people in the Philippines, the president of the typhoon-ravaged islands announced Tuesday that the death toll will probably be around 2,000 to 2,500.
In an interview with CNN, President Benigno Aquino said that the figure he had was "about 2,000, but this might still get higher," which is far lower than the original estimate of 10,000. However, he added that authorities have yet to reach almost 30 cities and towns in remote locations.
A regional police director in the Philippines gave the figure of 10,000 on Sunday, two days after Typhoon Haiyan made landfall brining sustained winds of 195 mph.
"Ten thousand, I think, is too much," Aquino said. "There was emotional drama involved with that particular estimate." On Tuesday, the official death toll stood at 1,774, reports NBC News.
One of the areas rescuers have yet to reach is Guiuan, which has a population of 40,000 and was mostly destroyed.
Meanwhile, the general in charge of American relief operations called on the world to mobilize to help the 9.5 million people who were affected by the storm.
"The rest of the world needs to get mobilized, the rest of the donor community," Brig. Gen. Paul Kennedy told NBC News from the base in Manila, where much of the aid was being sent to the disaster zone. "There are people who are suffering tonight. A week from now will be too late. We need to mobilize tonight."
The United States also sent the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, which carries 5,000 sailors and 80 aircraft, and three U.S. Navy warships, defense officials said.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
