Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves 140 dead, 127 missing in Philippines with unprecedented flooding before heading towards central Vietnam
CEBU PROVINCE: Typhoon Kalmaegi has killed at least 140 people across the central Philippines with 127 others reported missing.
The storm unleashed devastating flooding described as unprecedented in Cebu province, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and massive shipping containers.
The national civil defence office confirmed 114 deaths, while Cebu provincial authorities recorded an additional 28 fatalities.
In Liloan town near Cebu City, 35 bodies were recovered as residents dug through mud amid cars piled atop each other by floodwaters.
Christine Aton recounted losing her disabled sister Michelle, who became trapped in her bedroom as floodwaters rose inside their house.
“We tried to pry open her bedroom door with a kitchen knife and a crowbar but it wouldn’t budge,” said the 29-year-old.
“Then the refrigerator started to float. I opened a window and my father and I swam out. We were crying because we wanted to save my older sister.”
Chyros Roa said his family was saved by his dog’s barking when water rushed into their home, giving them just enough time to reach their roof.
“The current was really strong. We tried to call for rescue but no one came. We were told the rescuers were swept away by the current,” the 42-year-old father explained.
President Ferdinand Marcos declared a “state of national calamity” on Thursday, authorising funding for aid and price controls on basic necessities.
State weather service meteorologist Benison Estareja said rainfall along Kalmaegi’s path was 1.5 times Cebu’s typical November total, calling it a “once every 20 years” event.
The highly urbanised nature of affected communities around Cebu City made the flooding particularly deadly, he added.
Resident Reynaldo Vergara, 53, said “nothing like this has ever happened” after losing everything in his Mandaue shop when a nearby river overflowed.
Provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro called the situation “unprecedented” in a radio interview.
Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful due to human-driven climate change, with warmer oceans allowing rapid strengthening and heavier rainfall.
Kalmaegi’s windspeeds increased Thursday as it headed toward Vietnam, where fear mounted that the typhoon could compound damage from week-long flooding that has already killed 47 people.
The typhoon is forecast to make landfall in central Vietnam late Thursday, bringing waves as high as eight metres and powerful storm surges.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha urged local authorities to treat Kalmaegi as “urgent and dangerous”, calling it “a very abnormal” storm.
Authorities ordered thousands to evacuate from coastal communities, with officials in Quy Nhon city warning residents to flee.
Typhoon Kalmaegi marks the 13th storm to affect Vietnam this year, exceeding the annual average of ten.
The Philippines has already reached its average of 20 storms with Kalmaegi, with state weather specialist Charmagne Varilla expecting “three to five more” by December’s end.
Storm number 21 is already approaching as tropical storm Fung-wong builds strength east of the Philippines, potentially reaching super typhoon status before hitting Luzon on Monday. – AFP
