CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Red Cross — Ormoc City team, as of yesterday afternoon confirmed 12 casualties due to typhoon Yolanda.
National roads and highways from Tacloban City, northward to the towns of Palo, Sta. Fe, Alang-alang, Jaro, Tunga and Carigara, and southward to the coastal towns of Tanuan, Tolosa and Dulag were impassable due to fallen electrical posts and trees.
No communications and no power, as of yesterday, enveloped the entire Leyte province, isolating mostly the southern towns from contact to outside.
Since Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas, this was so far the longest time that government and telecom companies have been unable to restore communications, compared to responses in other disasters in the country, according to affected residents who complained that they could not contact their families and friends in other places.
Latest reports yesterday afternoon stated roofs of many houses in the towns of Mayorga, MacArthur, Javier and Abuyog, were ripped off. These areas only experienced knee-deep floods, according to some sources who were able to get through some communication lines. (FREEMAN)