Tacloban, Philippines - Cheers broke out on Monday in the typhoon-devastated airport of the city of Tacloban in the Philippines when 21-year old Emily Ortega gave birth to a daughter.
It was a rare piece of good news for the seaside city where officials fear at least 10 000 were killed, and where tens of thousands of residents saw their homes flattened by ferocious winds and a massive storm surge from Typhoon Haiyan.
The typhoon made landfall on Friday, barrelling through six central Philippine islands, wiping away buildings and levelling seaside homes with winds of 235km/h.
Beatriz Joy Sagales appeared in good health. Her birth drew applause from others in the airport and military medics who assisted in her delivery.
The baby’s birth was near miraculous - her mother was in an evacuation centre when the storm surge hit and flooded the city. The mother had to swim and cling to a post to survive before she found safety at the airport. Her husband in Manila was unaware of what has happened.
Sapa-AP