PHILIPPINES TYPHOON WRECKS HAVOC - 6/23/2008

NTDTV

ANCHOR: Severe weather conditions hamper rescue efforts in the aftermath of typhoon Fengshen. Many are feared dead. Let's take a closer look. STORY: Desperately clinging on as best they can in the aftermath of typhoon Fengshen which has claimed the lives of more than 150 people across the Philippines. Rescue teams approach with caution - they're up against huge swells of water. [Refugee]: "Our homes were already inundated by flood water. We can't approach our homes now because the currents are too strong. We just got help now when the rescuers reached us." Entire communities have been washed away during the heavy storms which at its peak saw gusts hitting speeds of up to 150 kilometers an hour. Thousands of people have been left homeless and have now taken refuge in emergency evacuation centers. On Friday a passenger ferry left Manila en-route to the island of Cebu with more than eight-hundred passengers on board, including more than fifty children. Crew members called for help on Saturday, but severe weather conditions delayed the arrival of coastguards and rescue teams. [Lt. Commander Armand Bailio, Spokesman Philippine Coast Guard]: "At the moment there is no indication or signs of any survivors or cadavers in the area. But they will continue the search and rescue operation." In the city where the ferry was due to dock, dozens of relatives hold a vigil, anxiously waiting for any news. There are only four known survivors from the vessel. In interviews given to local media they described the scenes on board the ship. They said many passengers jumped overboard as the ferry began to sank, while others tried to board life rafts - then they were flipped over into the sea as powerful winds overwhelmed them. The storm is now moving north towards Taiwan where it's expected to make landfall in the next few days.