Hundreds of people are reportedly missing and thousands dead after Typhoon Haiyan struck Philippines on Friday.

First reports indicated around 100 had been found in the eastern island of Leyte and the coastal city of Tacloban and Red Cross estimated more than 1,200.

President Benigno Aquino said he feared there would be "substantially more casualties".

"All systems are down. There is no power, no water, nothing. People are desperate. They're looting," said Voltaire Gazmin, Defense Secretary.

Nevertheless, recent reports from officials estimates that 10,000 or more people were killed by Haiyan before it moved on to Vietnam and China.

If in the future days the final numbers are confirmed, Haiyan will be the deadliest natural catastrophe in the history of Philippines with 9.7 million people affected, 41 of 80 Philippines provinces impacted, 800,000 people evacuated before typhoon and a 14 billion economic cost in damage for the Philippines.