Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves 66 dead, hundreds of thousands displaced in Philippines

Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves 66 dead, hundreds of thousands displaced in Philippines

At least 66 people have been confirmed dead and more than 400,000 displaced after Typhoon Kalmaegi, one of the strongest storms to hit the Philippines this year, tore through the central region, leaving a trail of destruction.

The majority of the fatalities — 49 — were recorded in Cebu, the country’s most populous central island, where entire towns were submerged following heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers. Twenty-six people are still missing, officials said on Wednesday.

Videos shared online showed residents clinging to rooftops as floodwaters swept away cars, shipping containers and homes. Local officials described the disaster as “unprecedented”, with the scale of flooding catching even emergency responders unprepared.

A military helicopter deployed for rescue operations in Mindanao crashed on Tuesday, killing all six crew members on board. The Philippine Air Force confirmed that the aircraft went down after communication was lost mid-flight.

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Typhoon Kalmaegi, known locally as Tino, made landfall early Tuesday with winds exceeding 130km/h, before weakening slightly as it swept through the Visayas region toward the South China Sea.

Cebu governor Pamela Baricuatro declared a state of calamity on Tuesday night to fast-track relief efforts. “We were expecting the winds to be the dangerous part, but the water is what’s truly putting our people at risk,” she said.

Most casualties were caused by drowning as torrents of muddy water rushed through communities. Homes, vehicles and public infrastructure were destroyed, leaving thick layers of mud in affected towns.

Rescue operations have been hampered by debris-clogged roads and persistent rains. “There is a lot for us to clear,” said Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defence.

The latest disaster comes barely a month after back-to-back typhoons killed more than a dozen people, and weeks after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the central region, also affecting Cebu.

The Philippines, which sits on the Pacific typhoon belt, is battered by an average of 20 storms annually. Kalmaegi is expected to head toward Vietnam, where record rainfall has already been reported.

Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves 66 dead, hundreds of thousands displaced in Philippines

BBC