Tragedy Strikes the Philippines as Typhoon Kalmaegi Claims Over 60 Lives

Wed Nov 19 2025 09:35:32 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As Typhoon Kalmaegi devastates the central Philippines, the death toll has risen to at least 66, with widespread flooding and destruction reported across the region. Authorities are urging for rescue operations as many remain displaced.

Typhoon Kalmaegi has wreaked havoc across the Philippines, resulting in at least 66 fatalities and widespread flooding, particularly in Cebu. The storm's impact has led to hundreds of thousands fleeing their homes, with authorities struggling to conduct rescue operations amid significant debris. Most casualties are due to drowning, and many residents express that this storm is among the worst they've experienced, raising concerns over inadequate infrastructure and disaster preparedness.

At least 66 people have been killed while hundreds of thousands fled their homes as one of the strongest typhoons this year ripped through the central Philippines, authorities say.

Typhoon Kalmaegi has flooded entire towns on the central island of Cebu, where 49 of the fatalities were located. Twenty-six others are missing, a civil defense official reported on Wednesday.

Videos depict people sheltering on rooftops, while cars and shipping containers were swept through the streets. The death toll includes six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed on Mindanao island, deployed to assist in relief efforts.

The aircraft went down on Tuesday near Agusan del Sur, and was one of four sent to help. Communication was lost, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation, where six bodies were later recovered.

The typhoon has weakened since making landfall early on Tuesday, but continues to bring winds exceeding 80 mph (130 km/h). It is forecast to progress across the Visayas islands region and out into the South China Sea by Wednesday.

Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator at the Office of Civil Defense, provided casualty updates during a radio interview, stating that rescuers are waiting for conditions to improve before delivering aid due to the debris and cars blocking roads.

The situation in Cebu is really unprecedented, said provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro, declaring a state of calamity for the area.

Baricuatro noted most deaths were due to drowning, as the storm sent torrents of muddy water down hillsides into towns. The destruction of residential areas on Cebu was extensive, with many small buildings swept away, leaving a thick carpet of mud.

Rescue teams are utilizing boats to help those trapped inside their homes, with over 400,000 people reported displaced due to the disaster.

This typhoon comes shortly after a series of storms that have plagued the Philippines, raising concerns about the nation's preparedness for such natural disasters amidst previous flooding and devastating infrastructure damage.

Typhoon Kalmaegi is now predicted to move toward Vietnam, which is also facing record-breaking rainfall.