Manila, Philippines — Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 66 people dead and 26 others missing after unleashing torrential rains and deadly floods across the central Philippines, disaster officials said Wednesday. The storm struck hardest in Cebu province, a region still reeling from a powerful earthquake just weeks earlier.
Authorities said most of the fatalities were caused by flash floods and landslides triggered by Kalmaegi’s intense downpour. The typhoon flooded entire communities, forcing residents onto rooftops as raging waters swept away cars and homes.
“We did everything we could, but the flash floods came too fast,” Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro told the Associated Press. “There has to be an investigation of the flood control projects here in Cebu and people should be held accountable.”
The province, home to more than 2.4 million people, has been placed under a state of calamity to speed up emergency funding and relief operations.
The Office of Civil Defense reported that at least 49 people drowned in Cebu alone, while others were killed by landslides and falling debris. Thirteen of the 26 missing persons were also from the province.
In a separate tragedy, six Philippine Air Force personnel died when a Super Huey helicopter crashed in the southern province of Agusan del Sur while en route to deliver humanitarian aid to typhoon-hit areas. All bodies were recovered, though the cause of the crash remains unknown.
Gwendolyn Pang, secretary-general of the Philippine Red Cross, said rescuers received a flood of emergency calls from trapped residents in Cebu but were unable to respond immediately due to the strong currents and floating debris. “We had to wait for the floodwaters to subside before we could reach them,” Pang said.
Governor Baricuatro added that years of illegal quarrying and substandard flood control projects worsened the flooding by clogging rivers with silt. The issue has become part of a nationwide corruption scandal involving incomplete or fake flood-control infrastructure, which has sparked growing public anger.
The devastation came as Cebu was still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30 that killed 79 people and displaced thousands. Many residents displaced by the quake were moved to sturdier shelters before the typhoon’s arrival — a move that officials say helped prevent even greater loss of life.
Kalmaegi made landfall late Tuesday, tearing through the central Philippines with sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (81 mph) and gusts up to 180 kph (112 mph) before moving out to the South China Sea by Wednesday afternoon.
Elsewhere, an elderly man drowned in Southern Leyte, and other fatalities were reported in neighboring provinces after trees and debris crushed homes. More than 387,000 people were evacuated before the storm, while 3,500 passengers were stranded in ports as ferries and fishing boats were grounded. At least 186 domestic flights were canceled nationwide.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson expressed condolences, saying, “The United States stands ready to assist our friends and partners in the Philippines.”
The Philippines, which endures about 20 typhoons each year, remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tropical storms are common.
Meanwhile, central Vietnam was bracing for Kalmaegi’s arrival, with authorities ordering evacuations, recalling fishing boats, and preparing shelters as the storm is expected to make landfall Friday morning, bringing more torrential rains and flash floods to the region.
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