Philippine officials consider mass graves for hundreds dead

After Typhoon Washi struck the southern Philippines, hundreds were left dead and many more missing.

Officials considered digging mass graves to stop the spread of disease as exact figures of those killed and missing remain ambiguous.

The national disaster agency said 533 were killed by the typhoon and 309 remain missing. However, the local Red Cross reported 652 killed and more than 800 missing.

Evacuation centres were becoming crowded and disaster agencies rushed to deliver medicine, food and water as well as body bags today.

Local radio stations and governments received thousands of calls for appeal from survivors asking to help bury the dead or find their missing relatives.

The tropical typhoon struck the Mindanao region of the Philippines during the night as most residents over the weekend. Surges of water and mud burst river banks and swept houses out to sea.

The cities worst hit by the storm are running out of evacuation centres with curches being temporary converted into evacuation centres.

Coffins are also running low and mortuaries were asking for mass graves because there are too many bodies and they cannot accept any more.