At least 26 people have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced after Typhoon Kalmaegi triggered massive flooding across central Philippines on Tuesday.
According to authorities, the island of Cebu was worst hit, with entire towns submerged and vehicles including shipping containers swept away by strong floodwaters.
Civil defence deputy administrator Rafaelito Alejandro confirmed that 21 of the reported deaths occurred in Cebu, adding that “most of them died from drowning.”
State weather specialist Charmagne Varilla said Cebu City recorded 183 millimetres of rainfall in just 24 hours — far exceeding the province’s monthly average of 131 millimetres.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro described the situation as “unprecedented,” saying the floods, rather than the expected strong winds, posed the greatest danger to residents.
Rescue teams in Cebu City recovered the bodies of two children, while operations continued to reach residents trapped by floodwaters. Other casualties included an elderly person who drowned in Leyte province and a man killed by a falling tree in Bohol.
“The water rose so fast. By 4:00 a.m., it was already uncontrollable,” said resident Don del Rosario, who sought refuge on an upper floor. “This is by far the worst we’ve experienced.”
Officials said nearly 400,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm, while many displaced by a September earthquake were “forcibly evacuated for their safety,” according to Cebu information officer Rhon Ramos.
In a related development, the Philippine military reported that a Super Huey helicopter deployed for relief operations crashed Tuesday afternoon on Mindanao island while heading to Butuan City. Search and recovery efforts are ongoing.
The typhoon, packing winds of up to 130 kilometres per hour and gusts of 180 kph, continues to move westward through the Visayan islands, toppling trees and power lines.
Experts warn that climate change is fueling stronger and wetter storms across the region. The Philippines, which experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually, has already hit that mark this year, with several more storms expected before December.
In September, Super Typhoon Ragasa left at least 14 people dead after devastating parts of the Philippines and Taiwan.
