CEOAFRICA gathered that about 120 people have been reportedly killed by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, after the massive storm passed through the country on Friday.

According to source, Aviation officials said 100 bodies were lying in the streets of the city of Tacloban.  Local journalists also reported 20 bodies in a church in a nearby town.

The storm destroyed buildings and triggered landslides. The storm made landfall on the Philippines shortly before dawn on Friday, bringing gusts that reached 379 km/h (235 mph), with waves as high as 15m (45ft), bringing up to 400mm (15.75 inches) of rain in places.

Meteorologists had earlier warned that the storm could be as devastating as Typhoon Bopha in 2012, which ravaged parts of the southern Philippines and left at least 1,000 people dead.

Schools and offices were closed, while ferry services and local flights were suspended. Hospitals and soldiers were on stand-by for rescue and relief operations.

Power and communication lines were also cut to some areas. The military has however begun relief efforts.

Haiyan raged across Leyte and Samar, turning roads into rivers, and battered Cebu city, the country's second largest with a population of 2.5 million.

The head of the EU's delegation to the Philippines, Guy Ledoux, had earlier told local media that the EU was also sending a humanitarian aid team.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall on Sunday.