Typhoon Kalmaegi batters Philippines: 66 dead, 26 missing; floods ravage Cebu

The Philippines is reeling under the havoc unleashed by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which has left at least 66 people dead and 26 missing across the central region, officials said on Wednesday.Most of the casualties were reported in Cebu province, where flash floods swept through residential areas, trapping people on rooftops and washing away vehicles in communities still recovering from a deadly earthquake in September, as reported by news agency AP.Among the victims were six Philippine Air Force personnel killed when their helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur on Tuesday while on a relief mission to storm-battered areas.

The military did not disclose the cause of the crash.Kalmaegi moved away from Palawan province into the South China Sea by midday Wednesday, with sustained winds of 130 kph and gusts reaching 180 kph, forecasters said.According to the Office of Civil Defense, 49 people drowned in the floods in Cebu, while others died in landslides and from falling debris. The Philippine Red Cross said several rescue calls were received from people stranded on their roofs, but operations were delayed until the waters subsided.

The devastation comes as Cebu was still recovering from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake on September 30, which killed 79 people and displaced thousands of residentsCebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro said years of quarrying and substandard flood control projects may have worsened the flooding, adding that an investigation was needed to hold those responsible accountable.Before Kalmaegi made landfall, authorities said more than 387,000 residents had been evacuated to safer areas across eastern and central provinces. Officials had earlier warned of torrential rainfall, damaging winds, and storm surges reaching up to three metres (about 10 feetThe province, home to more than 2.4 million people, has declared a state of calamity to enable faster release of emergency funds for recovery, reported AP.The Philippines, which endures around 20 typhoons annually and frequent earthquakes, is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries, with over a dozen active volcanoes adding to its vulnerability.