With tens of thousands of people huddling in evacuation centers after fleeing their homes as Tropical Storm Washi swept away whole shanty towns at the weekend, there are increasing fears that the sites are potential breeding grounds for epidemics.

Officials have warned that the survivors face a growing threat of disease, including cholera and typhoid.

Health Under Secretary Teresita Herrera told AFP the government was bracing itself for possible outbreaks next week.

The problem is that the evacuation centers, which are mainly schools and gymnasiums, have few toilets and no running water. Moreover, there is a shortage of food.

Countless missing

The official death toll has now risen to over 1,000 and the authorities say it is likely to rise. "We've lost count of the missing," said Benito Ramos from the Civil Defense Office.

Tropical Storm Washi ravaged the southern Philippines at 2:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, with pounding rain triggering flash floods and landslides across the north coast of the island of Mindanao.

The worst hit cities were Cagayan de Oro and nearby Iligan. Many of the victims, mainly women and children, were caught in their beds as floodwaters tore through coastal communities and swept the dead out to sea.

President Benigno Aquino made a visit to the disaster zone on Tuesday and declared a state of national calamity.

Author: Anne Thomas (AFP, AP)
Editor: Sarah Berning