Dodental Fillipijnen loopt vrijwel zeker op in de duizenden.

Typhoon death toll may be 'thousands'



Death toll from Typhoon Durian rises above 400• 489 people injured and another 398 reported missing• Canada pledges $870,000, Netherlands Red Cross $53,000• Durian is fourth major typhoon in Philippines in as many months

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- Relief efforts in the Philippines faced delays Sunday for survivors of Typhoon Durian, as fears grew of a rising death toll in the archipelago nation from last week's storm.
The Red Cross put the death toll Sunday at 406, and another 489 as injured. Another 398 people were missing, the organization said.
But the death toll caused by the typhoon could eventually be "in the thousands" as more people are believed to be buried under the mud, Red Cross Executive Assistant Gwendolyn Pang said Sunday.

Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of national calamity Sunday, news services reported.
The move allows the government to more rapidly release funds needed to bolster search-and-rescue efforts. Relief efforts were facing challenges from roads blocked by debris, Pang said.
"We are trying as much as possible to broaden our reach," she told CNN.

Canada pledged $870,000 and the Netherlands Red Cross pledged $53,000, said the Red Cross' Pang. The United States also promised aid, she added, but did not say how much.
The donations will help the country deal with the aftermath of the storm that triggered massive flooding and volcanic mudslides.
Many provinces lost power, which made communication practically impossible and some of the areas were in "neck-deep" water, Pang said.
In one of the worst hit provinces, Albay, two villages were buried by volcanic mudslides and volunteers were working to recover bodies from the wreckage.
According to the Red Cross, rescue boats were used to survey the damage and usher people to the 305 evacuation centers. Pang said about 8,905 families were in the shelters so far.
The Red Cross estimated about 66, 616 people were now homeless based upon the number of homes destroyed in the wake of Durian.
Earlier, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said 38,473 displaced people were in evacuation shelters.
Durian is the fourth devastating typhoon to strike the Philippines in the past four months.
A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the western Pacific or Indian oceans