Typhoon Haiyan devastates the Philippines

More than 10,000 people are feared dead in just one area of the Philippines as Typhoon Haiyan left complete devastation in its path.

One of the worst storms on record, it destroyed homes, schools and an airport in the eastern city of Tacloban while neighbouring Samar Island reported 300 people dead and 2,000 unaccounted for.

"The death toll in Tacloban alone could go up to 10,000," Tecson Lim, city administrator said.

The Philippine government has so far only confirmed the deaths of 151 people throughout the country, but hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

However, the number of dead is set to rise particularly in Tacloban where houses have been obliterated by the winds while water, food and electricity remain scarce. City officials said they were struggling to distribute aid and that looting was widespread.

"Tacloban is totally destroyed. Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families. People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food, rice and milk... I am afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger," a resident told foreign media.

Philippine Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said the scale of the relief operation that is now required is overwhelming, with some places described as a wasteland of mud and debris.

The typhoon is now expected to bear down on Vietnam with the BBC Weather Centre saying the typhoon should make landfall south of Hanoi on Monday afternoon.

More than 600,000 people have been evacuated in northern provinces. At least four people were reported killed there, while trying to escape the storm.