At least 26 individuals have lost their lives in the Philippines due to the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi, primarily through flooding caused by the storm’s passage across the central regions of the country on Tuesday. Emergency response authorities confirmed that floodwaters left numerous people stranded on rooftops and submerged vehicles.
Separately, six fatalities were recorded following a Philippine Air Force helicopter crash in the southern Agusan del Sur province while undertaking humanitarian aid delivery to areas affected by Kalmaegi. The military’s Eastern Mindanao Command informed that all occupants of the Super Huey chopper, which went down near Loreto town, were found deceased after a search operation. The circumstances leading to the crash remain undisclosed.
Kalmaegi was last observed over the coastal waters of Jordan town in Guimaras province, featuring sustained winds of 130 km/h and gusts reaching up to 180 km/h. The typhoon was anticipated to move towards the South China Sea after impacting Palawan province.
Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defence, stated that the reported death toll stood at 26, with many fatalities occurring in Cebu province and other central island regions battered by Kalmaegi, the 20th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year. Details concerning the typhoon-related deaths are still under verification.
Among the casualties was an elderly resident who drowned in floodwaters in Southern Leyte, where a widespread power outage followed the typhoon’s landfall around midnight in an eastern town. Additionally, a resident in central Bohol province lost their life after being struck by a falling tree, as confirmed by provincial authorities.
In Cebu, Gwendolyn Pang, the secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, reported that an unknown number of individuals were marooned on their rooftops due to flooding in Liloan, with cars submerged or floating in another community within the province. Pang highlighted the challenges faced by rescue operations amidst debris and high floodwaters.
The aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Cebu city, central Philippines, showed extensive rubble and debris caused by the flooding, illustrating the destructive impact of the storm on the region. In Eastern Samar, where Kalmaegi first struck on Tuesday, strong winds tore off roofs and damaged around 300 predominantly rural dwellings in Homonhon without resulting in any casualties, as confirmed by Mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan.
The Philippines, known for its vulnerability to natural disasters, faces around 20 typhoons annually, alongside seismic activity and numerous active volcanoes, underscoring its status as one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.