A powerful typhoon has caused massive destruction in the central Philippines, leaving at least 90 people dead and another 75 still unaccounted for, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Several areas experienced overwhelming floods, forcing residents to climb onto their rooftops as vehicles and homes were swept away in a province already struggling to recover from a recent deadly earthquake.
Among the fatalities were six people aboard a Philippine Air Force helicopter that crashed in Agusan del Sur on Tuesday. The aircraft was on a mission to deliver humanitarian aid to communities devastated by Typhoon Kalmaegi. Military officials confirmed the crash but did not state the exact cause.
Kalmaegi moved away from western Palawan province and into the South China Sea late Wednesday morning, carrying sustained winds of about 130 kph and gusts reaching 180 kph, according to weather forecasters.
Cebu suffers the worst impactBernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, reported that the highest number of deaths occurred in Cebu province. Kalmaegi struck the area with fierce winds and heavy rainfall, triggering sudden floods and causing rivers and waterways to overflow.
Floodwaters rapidly swallowed residential neighborhoods, leaving people trapped on their roofs, calling desperately for help as the water kept rising.
The Philippine Red Cross secretary-general, Gwendolyn Pang, said the organization received multiple rescue calls from residents stranded on rooftops.
At least 49 victims drowned in the floods, while others died after landslides and falling debris. Thirteen people remain missing in Cebu, according to the Office of Civil Defense.
