An Italian woman has died and two more are missing following the typhoon that has killed thousands in the Philippines, Italy's Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said today.
The minister said the woman had probably died of a heart attack, without specifying where the woman was when Super Typhoon Haiyan struck, or any other details.
"It is possible that they weren't able to contact Italy because their mobile phones ran out of charge," the minister told Italian media, referring to the missing pair.
Bonino added that Italians had raised USD 1.5 million in private donations for the relief effort, while the Italian postal service would allow money to be sent back to the Phillipines commission-free for four months.
An Italian cargo ship arrived this morning on the island of Cebu, the foreign ministry said in a separate statement.
Authorities in the Philippines have put the official death toll at 3,633, with 1,179 missing and nearly 12,500 injured.
The UN has put the number of dead at 4,460 and said today that 2.5 million people still "urgently" required food assistance.
