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Possibly Thousands Dead in Deadly Philippine Typhoon

Typhoon Durian, the fourth deadly typhoon to hit the Philippines in just four short months, has left a wake of destruction in its path. While the official death toll is just over four hundred, government authorities think that thousands more have been killed and buried in the mud left by the typhoon. Another 400 people have been declared officially missing and nearly 67,000 people have been left homeless.

The Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, declared a national state of emergency that essentially boosted the amount of money released for search and rescue efforts. Countries around the world have clamored to offer financial and physical aid to the battered region, including the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. After the rescue missions have been completed, the Philippines will need to reconstruct much of its infrastructure that was lost in the massive flooding and volcanic mudslides. In some areas of the country, entire villages were buried under the mud.

Rescue boats are being used to bring in hundreds of stranded people, some of whose villages are neck-deep in water. 305 evacuation centers have been set up across the country and tens of thousands have already been housed in these temporary shelters. Meanwhile, blocked roads and lack of electricity in many of the battered regions were holding up relief efforts.