Typhoon Kalmagi hits Philippines, 144 dead - Philippine President declares state of emergency

Manila: At least 114 people have been killed in the Philippines by a powerful typhoon called 'Kalmagi'. Hundreds of people are missing in this disaster. The storm has caused severe damage in the central part of the country. In this context, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of emergency throughout the country.

State of emergency in the Philippines

The storm is the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country this year, with 114 people killed and 127 still missing, many of them in the worst-hit province of Cebu. A state of emergency has been declared across the country.

The Philippines' Civil Defense Office said in a statement, "Typhoon Kalmagyi caused flash floods in Cebu province. Rivers and other waterways overflowed, inundating residential areas. Residents were forced to climb onto their roofs and seek help to escape the floodwaters. About 2 million people have been affected by the storm. More than 5.60 million villagers have been displaced. Of these, about 4.50 million have been evacuated to emergency shelters."

At least 71 people have died in Cebu province, 65 are missing, and 69 are injured. The Civil Defense Office said 62 people are missing in Negros Occidental province, which is adjacent to Cebu.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro told the media that "years of mining activities in Cebu province have caused rivers to clog and cause flooding. Also, poor flood control plans may have worsened the situation. We have done our best to control the situation caused by flooding, but unexpected events like floods happen."

Army helicopter crashes, 6 dead

Among the fatalities from Typhoon Kalmagyi, six people died when a Philippine Air Force helicopter crashed in the southern province of Agasan del Sur on Tuesday. The military said the helicopter was on its way to provide humanitarian aid to areas hit by the storm.

Cebu province was still recovering from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake on September 30, which killed at least 79 people and left thousands homeless. Homes collapsed or were severely damaged. Thousands of residents of northern Cebu who were displaced by the earthquake were moved from flimsy tents to sturdy shelters before the typhoon hit. Now, as if to add insult to injury, flooding has become another problem for the people of Cebu province.