Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 52 people dead and 13 missing in the central Philippines, with most fatalities caused by severe flooding in Cebu — a province still reeling from a recent deadly earthquake, officials said Wednesday.
In a separate incident, six people were killed when a Philippine Air Force helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur on Tuesday while on a humanitarian mission to assist areas devastated by the typhoon. Authorities have yet to release details about the cause of the crash.
As of early Wednesday, Kalmaegi was located over the coastal waters of Linapacan in Palawan, packing sustained winds of 75 mph and gusts up to 93 mph. It is expected to move into the South China Sea later in the day.
According to Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV of the Office of Civil Defense, most of the casualties occurred in Cebu province, where flash floods submerged homes, swept away vehicles, and forced residents onto rooftops to await rescue.
The Philippine Red Cross reported receiving numerous calls from stranded residents, but rescue teams had to wait until water levels receded to ensure safety.
Cebu, home to more than 2.4 million people, has declared a state of calamity to expedite the release of emergency funds. The province was still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30, which killed at least 79 people and displaced thousands.
Additional deaths were reported in Southern Leyte, where an elderly villager drowned, and in Bohol province, where a resident was killed by a falling tree.
Ahead of the typhoon’s landfall, more than 387,000 people evacuated to safer areas across eastern and central regions. Officials warned of torrential rain, strong winds, and storm surges up to 10 feet high.
Rough seas forced authorities to suspend interisland ferries and fishing boats, stranding more than 3,500 passengers and cargo drivers at nearly 100 ports. At least 186 domestic flights were canceled.
The Philippines faces about 20 typhoons yearly and is also prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.
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