Typhoon death toll could reach 10,000
Travel and communications in the Philippines continue to be severely disrupted following the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan, which is believed to have killed up to 10,000 people.
Reports suggest 6,000 foreigners and locals are stranded on the popular resort island of Boracay, one of the tourist spots in the typhoon’s path, tourism office Tim Ticar said to the Daily Express.
Tourists in northern area of Vietnam are bracing themselves as the typhoon makes its way north.
Many Britons travel to the northern city of Hanoi, the capital, and the popular tourist destination of Halong Bay in the north east of Vietnam each year, both of which are expected to be in the path of the typhoon.
Vietnam Airlines cancelled a flight yesterday between Hochiminh city to Hai Phong and four flights today between Hai Phong and Danang and Hochiminh City due to the typhoon.
Passengers whose flights are cancelled are advised not to go to the airport.
The typhoon ripped through six central Philippine islands on Friday, causing major devastation in Leyte and Eastern Samar and other areas.
Up to 10,000 are feared dead in Tacloban city on Leyte Island, where the typhoon flattened homes, schools and an airport.
Hundreds are believed to have been killed elsewhere and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.
The UK Foreign Office warned it was difficult to travel to or contact the affected areas and the disruption is expected to continue a number of days at least.
"British nationals in the affected regions should continue to follow the advice of local emergency authorities and should please let their family and friends know they are OK as there has been considerable media coverage of this typhoon," said the FCO in its updated travel advice.
The major population centres of Manila and Cebu City were not badly affected.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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