The death toll from Typhoon Haiyan in the central Philippines has breached 6,000, with nearly 1,800 people still missing, officials said.

The Philippine government has defended its efforts to deliver assistance to victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

Rescuers in the central Philippines counted at least 100 people dead and many more injured today, a day after one of the most powerful typhoons on record ripped through the region, wiping away buildings and levelling seaside homes with massive storm surges.