Relatives of the victims of Tyhpoon Haiyan attend a mass in Palo, Leyte on December 8, 2013.

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More than 6,000 people now confirmed dead, more than 1,800 missing in Philippine typhoon

The death toll has risen by nearly 2,000 in just three weeks

More than 27,000 people have been reported injured, a government agency says

Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on November 8

CNN  — 

Nearly five weeks after Typhoon Haiyan tore through the Philippines, the government now says more than 6,000 people have been reported dead. Nearly 1,800 more are still missing.

The new death toll figure, reported Friday, represents a sharp increase from the approximately 4,000 deaths confirmed by the government just three weeks ago.

More than 27,000 people have been reported injured, the county’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported Friday.

The storm forced 3.9 million people from their homes, the agency said.

The typhoon – considered by some to be among the strongest such storms to make landfall – struck the Philippines on November 8. Its powerful winds and enormous storm surge smashed buildings, destroyed roads and caused widespread power and water outages.

The damage was particularly severe in the Leyte province city of Tacloban, which suffered a direct hit from the storm and enormous devastation.

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