Officials in the central Philippines have confirmed over 100 people have died just a day after one of the biggest typhoons ever ripped through the region, according to the Associated Press.
The massive storm destroyed homes, buildings and most roads are still cut off, according to Captain John Andrews, a deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority.
Andrews received "reliable information" by radio from his staff that 100 bodies were "laying in the streets" of Tacloban on Leyte Island, the hardest-hit location.
"Preparedness is strengthening over the years as agencies become more proficient at preparing for disasters, technology is improving so we can forecast a bit more reliably, so it is getting better in terms of preparation," Ben Webster, the Red Cross' disaster response manager, said in a statement. "But there are still hundreds of thousands of families likely to have been impacted, and even if the loss of life isn't as high as it usually is, these are still people who need homes and livelihoods which will have been impacted by this huge storm.
Leyte was one of six different islands to be hit by Typhoon Haiyan, according to AP.
The casualty number will "probably" increase" according to Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, who viewed aerial photos of the widespread destruction caused by the Haiyan.
Haiyan was moving from the Philippines towards Vietnam at press time.
"The storm surge came in fairly high and there is significant structural damage and trees blown over," said U.S. Marine Col. Mike Wylie, who is a member of the U.S.-Philippines Military Assistance Group.
Weather officials said Haiyan had sustained winds of 147 mph with gusts of 170 mph when it made landfall. If those numbers are true, Haiyan would be comparable to a Category 4 hurricane in the U.S., nearly reaching category 5 numbers, according to AP.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that America "stands ready to help" in a statement released this week.
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
