Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 66 people dead and 26 others missing in the central Philippines, with widespread flooding trapping residents on rooftops and sweeping away vehicles. The hardest-hit area was the central province of Cebu, which is still recovering from a deadly earthquake that struck last month.
Among the fatalities were six military personnel whose helicopter crashed on the island of Mindanao during a humanitarian mission. The Philippine air force aircraft went down in Agusan del Sur province while en route to deliver aid to areas battered by the typhoon. The cause of the crash has not yet been disclosed.
In Cebu, a province of more than 2.4 million people, flash floods caused rivers and waterways to swell, engulfing residential communities. Many residents climbed onto their roofs and pleaded for rescue, but efforts were delayed until floodwaters subsided to reduce risks for emergency workers. The province has declared a state of calamity to expedite the release of emergency funds.
Cebu was already reeling from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on 30 September that killed at least 79 people and displaced thousands. Before the typhoon struck, hundreds of earthquake-displaced residents were moved from flimsy tents to sturdier evacuation shelters.
Other deaths were reported in Southern Leyte province, where an elderly villager drowned, and in Bohol province, where a resident was killed by a fallen tree. More than 387,000 people had evacuated to safer ground ahead of the typhoon. Authorities warned of torrential rains, destructive winds, and storm surges of up to three metres.
Ferries and fishing boats were barred from venturing out, stranding over 3,500 passengers and truck drivers at nearly 100 seaports. At least 186 domestic flights were cancelled. The Philippines is hit by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, along with frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.
