Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines claims 66 lives, dozens missing

Typhoon "Kalmaegi" has claimed the lives of at least 66 people in the Philippines, with dozens missing, an official said on Wednesday, as the country prepares for a new storm, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.

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The deadliest typhoon to hit the Southeast Asian country this year also left more than half a million people homeless. It struck central provinces, including Cebu, where the highest number of casualties was recorded, as widespread flooding inundated homes and residents were trapped on rooftops.

According to disaster response officials, many of the dead were hit by falling trees and debris or swept away by floods. A Philippine Air Force helicopter sent to assist in the aftermath of the typhoon crashed, killing six crew members, the military said.

According to the Pagasa meteorological bureau, "Kalmaegi," locally known as "Tino," now has maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 180 kilometers per hour. The second highest alert level out of five in the typhoon warning system remains in effect in some areas of Palawan province, located near the South China Sea.

In addition to the 66 dead, 26 people are considered missing, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy head of the Office of Civil Defense, told ABS-CBN news channel on Wednesday. According to him, "Kalmaegi" brought a month's worth of rainfall to Cebu.

The typhoon is set to leave the Philippines early Thursday morning and then head to Vietnam, which forecasters say is still recovering from severe flooding that killed dozens. A new tropical depression is forecast to hit the Philippines soon and could reach super typhoon category on November 8, Pagasa said, warning that "life-threatening storm conditions" could develop over the main island of Luzon early next week.

"Kalmaegi," the twentieth storm to hit the Philippines this year, has drawn attention to a brewing corruption scandal in multi-billion peso flood control projects, sparking public outrage. The country is hit by about 20 cyclones a year, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.

In Cebu province, which is still recovering from a recent earthquake that killed dozens, Governor Pamela Baricuatro appealed for help. "Cebu has been allocated 26 billion pesos for flood control, but we are flooded to the brim," she wrote on Facebook.

Typhoon in the Philippines claims two lives and causes floods04.11.25, 21:02 • 3683 views