'Yolanda' death count jumps to 5,209

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 5,209 people have been confirmed killed in Eastern Visayas and other regions devastated by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the state disaster response agency reported Friday night.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that majority of the fatalities were recorded in Tacloban City, Tanauan and Palo towns in Leyte province.

Earlier, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas announced that the death toll was 4,919. The data, however, was only for Eastern Visayas.

Other parts of the Visayas and some parts of Luzon, including Palawan and Mindoro, were also struck by the super typhoon.

The typhoon slammed into Eastern Samar on November 8.

Roxas said that the death count is more likely to increase as more reports are expected from the people involved in the rescue and retrieval operations in typhoon-devastated areas.

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Roxas added that a total of 1,582 people remained missing and 24,716 more have been reported injured.

The NDRRMC had reported that of the 10 million people affected by the typhoon, 4 million people were displaced.

Meanwhile, Roxas said that the situation in Tacloban City has already stabilized as more commercial establishments are now open and more roads have been cleared of the debris.