Philippine disaster agency said on Friday more than 1,000 people were missing from a storm and flash floods last week, sharply raising the number of victims unnaccounted for as the true extent of the disaster became known.

Survivors of devastating Philippines flash floods face a growing threat of disease including cholera and typhoid, officials warned  as the death toll rose above a thousand.

The bodies of victims of a devastating storm still litter the seas off the southern Philippines, officials said December 22 as fears mounted of disease outbreaks among survivors.