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The Philippine television station GMA reported its news team saw 11 bodies, including that of a child, washed ashore on Friday and 20 more bodies at a pier in Tacloban hours after the typhoon ripped through the coastal city. At least 20 more bodies were taken to a church in nearby Palo town that was used as an evacuation centre but had to be abandoned when its roofs were blown away, the TV network reported. TV images showed howling winds peeling off tin roof sheets during heavy rain. Ferocious winds felled large branches and snapped coconut trees. A man was shown carrying the body of his six-year-old daughter, who drowned, and another image showed vehicles piled up in debris. Haiyan, one of the strongest storms ever to hit land, was leaving the Philippines behind on Saturday, having flattened houses, triggered landslides and floods and knocked out power and communications across a number of islands. More than 750,000 people were forced to flee their homes. The toll of death and damage is expected to rise sharply as rescue workers and soldiers reach areas cut off by the massive, fast-moving storm, now heading towards Vietnam. Authorities in 15 provinces in Vietnam started to call back boats and prepare for possible landslides. Nearly 300,000 people were moved to safer areas in two provinces alone – Da Nang and Quang Nam– according to the government's website. Forecasters said the storm was expected to pick up renewed strength over the South China Sea. There were hopes the Philippines had avoided a worse disaster because the rapidly moving typhoon blew away before wreaking more damage, officials said. But because communications were severed, it was impossible to know the full extent of casualties and damage.

Southern Leyte governor Roger Mercado said the typhoon ripped roofs off houses and triggered landslides that blocked roads. The dense clouds and heavy rains made the day seem almost as dark as night, he said. "When you're faced with such a scenario, you can only pray and pray and pray," Mercado told the Associated Press by telephone. He said mayors in the province had not called in to report any major damage. "I hope that means they were spared and not the other way around," he said. "My worst fear is there will be massive loss of lives and property."