Asia-Pacific
US relief flight heads for typhoon-region
Stars and Stripes
November 11, 2013
Residents gather water outside damaged houses in Tacloban city, Leyte province central Philippines on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013. The city remains littered with debris from damaged homes as many complain of shortage of food, water and no electricity since the Typhoon Haiyan slammed into their province. Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded, slammed into central Philippine provinces Friday leaving a wide swath of destruction and scores of people dead. (Aaron Favila/AP Photo)
Residents gather water outside damaged houses in Tacloban city, Leyte province central Philippines on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013. The city remains littered with debris from damaged homes as many complain of shortage of food, water and no electricity since the Typhoon Haiyan slammed into their province. Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded, slammed into central Philippine provinces Friday leaving a wide swath of destruction and scores of people dead. (Aaron Favila/AP Photo)
Residents walk past damaged structures caused by typhoon Haiyan, in Tacloban city, Leyte province central Philippines on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013. Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded, slammed into central Philippine provinces Friday leaving a wide swath of destruction and scores of people dead. (Aaron Favila/AP Photo)
MANILA, Philippines — A US military plane carrying relief supplies and a contingent of Marines has left the Philippine capital en route to the country's typhoon-devastated eastern seaboard.
The C-130 left Manila's Vilamor air base on Monday loaded with bottled water, generators wrapped in plastic, a forklift and two trucks.
It was the first American relief flight to the region, where thousands are feared dead and tens of thousands more homeless as a result of Friday's typhoon.
The flight was headed for Tacloban, a city badly hit by the storm and in desperate need of assistance.