Stampede Kills 8 as Yolanda Survivors Raided Gov’t Rice Warehouse

Authorities said at least eight people were killed when thousands of typhoon survivors stormed a government rice warehouse in Alangalang, Leyte, Gma News Online reported on Wednesday.

National Food Authority (NFA) spokesman Rex Estoperez on Wednesday said police and soldiers were helpless when the looting took place in Leyte’s Alangalang municipality on Tuesday adding that eight people were crushed when a wall collapsed. Reports said the looters carted away more than 100,000 sacks of rice.

Estoperez was reported as saying there are other warehouses in the region but refused to reveal their location for security reasons.

Alangalang town is an inland municipality without a shoreline west of Tacloban, evidence of Yolanda’s ferocity, Gma News Online said.

While a tsunami-like storm surge caused much of the destruction in coastal communities, violent winds did most of its destruction in inland areas like Alangalang, which was in the path of the world’s most powerful storm.

Super Typhoon Yolanda gunned across the country’s midsection before it exited in northern Palawan, Gma News Online reported.

Source: Gma News Online