MANILA, Philippines — At least 66 people have been killed and more than 400,000 displaced after Typhoon Kalmaegi, one of the strongest storms to hit the Philippines this year, tore through the country’s central region, officials said Wednesday.
The storm, locally known as Tino, inundated towns and villages across Cebu, the country’s most populated central island, where 49 of the deaths were reported.
At least 26 people remain missing, according to the Office of Civil Defence.
“The situation in Cebu is really unprecedented,” provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro said, describing scenes of devastation as floodwaters swept through homes and streets. “We were expecting the winds to be the dangerous part, but the water is what’s truly putting our people at risk.”
Videos shared online showed residents clinging to rooftops as cars, shipping containers, and debris were carried away by powerful currents.
Military Helicopter Crashes During Relief Mission
Among the fatalities were six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed on Mindanao island while en route to assist rescue operations.
The Philippine Air Force said the aircraft lost communication near Agusan del Sur on Tuesday, prompting a search and rescue mission that later recovered the bodies of the pilot and crew.
Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall early Tuesday with winds exceeding 130 km/h (80 mph), before weakening as it moved across the Visayas islands toward the South China Sea.
Rescue Operations Hampered by Flooding and Debris
Rescue teams have been struggling to reach affected communities due to blocked roads and dangerous conditions.
“The challenge is the debris and cars on the road. There is a lot for us to clear,” said Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defence.
Governor Baricuatro on Tuesday declared a state of calamity in Cebu to fast-track relief and recovery efforts.
Many of the victims drowned as torrents of muddy water surged down hillsides, submerging entire neighborhoods.
“I’ve been here for 28 years, and this is by far the worst we’ve experienced,” said Cebu City resident Don del Rosario, who took shelter on an upper floor as the storm hit.
Series of Disasters Strain Philippines
The Philippines, which experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually, has been hit by a series of natural disasters in recent months.
In late September, Super Typhoon Ragasa and Typhoon Bualoi killed more than a dozen people, while an unusually heavy monsoon season triggered protests over substandard flood control systems.
On September 30, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the central region, further battering Cebu and nearby provinces.
Meteorologists say Kalmaegi is now heading west toward Vietnam, which is already grappling with record-breaking rainfall.
