Manila (AP): Typhoon Kalmaegi has caused the death of 66 people in central Philippines, with 26 missing. Officials stated on Wednesday that most deaths were a result of getting trapped in serious floods and swift currents.
The military reported that six of the deceased were involved in a helicopter accident on Tuesday, as they were conducting humanitarian aid operations in Kalmaegi-affected provinces. The helicopter crashed in southern Agusan del Sur province. The exact causes of the accident were not disclosed. Deputy administrators of the civil defense office and provincial authorities mentioned that most deaths occurred in the central province of Cebu, where unexpected flooding and river surges occurred on Tuesday.
According to officials, the flooding submerged residential areas, forcing panicked residents to seek refuge on their rooftops. Requests for rescue missions from the Philippine Red Cross led to the lowering of water levels to reduce risks for emergency personnel. The civil defense office reported on Wednesday that at least 49 people died in Cebu, with most drowning in floods, while others perished due to landslides and collapsing structures. There are still 13 individuals missing.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia informed the Associated Press that all efforts had been made to prepare for the typhoon, but the sudden flooding took them by surprise. An emergency funding appeal was made to quickly allocate relief resources in Cebu. The heavily populated province, still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30 that claimed at least 79 lives and displaced thousands, is gradually stabilizing.
Rajpal Barikotero stated that thousands of northern Cebu residents who were rendered homeless by the earthquake had been temporarily sheltered in tent shelters prior to the typhoon’s arrival. The northern towns devastated by the earthquake were less affected by Kalmaegi’s wrath due to the impact of the disaster decreasing in those areas.
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