Death toll reaches 46 as storm hits Philippines

Zebu: The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines reached 46 on Tuesday, authorities said, including six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed during the powerful storm that unleashed heavy rain and flooding in the central region.

The Huey helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur on the island of Mindanao, where it was conducting a humanitarian disaster response mission, the military said. Six bodies of the crew were recovered and an investigation was underway.

The accident took place before noon, about 270 kilometers from the island of Cebu, the worst affected region, where local authorities said 39 people had died from drowning or falling debris. One person was reported dead on the neighboring island of Bohol.

The Philippines, which experiences an average of 20 tropical storms each year, is recovering from a series of disasters, including earthquakes and severe weather events in recent months. In September, Super Typhoon Ragasa hit northern Luzon, forcing schools and government offices to close due to strong winds and torrential rains.

Although Kalmaegi, locally called Tino, has been gradually losing strength since it made landfall early on Tuesday, it continued to lash the country with winds of 120 km/h and gusts of 165 km/h as it crossed the Visayan Islands heading north of Palawan and towards the South China Sea.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated across the Visayas region, including parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao, ahead of a storm that submerged homes and caused widespread flooding.

Ainjeliz Orong, Cebu provincial information officer, said the number of casualties in the province had suddenly increased, from the three reported earlier in the day, as rescue operations were underway and information was just beginning to trickle in.

“Search and rescue efforts continue and there are people missing and missing,” Orong said by phone.