At least 85 people have died and dozens remain missing after Typhoon Kalmaegi (locally named “Tino”) tore through the central Philippines, officials said Wednesday. The storm caused catastrophic flooding and damage in the province of Cebu and beyond.
The death toll shows the storm’s urgent humanitarian impact and the mounting challenge for regional disaster relief as Kalmaegi moves toward Vietnam.
In the hardest-hit province of Cebu, once a major tourist centre, floodwaters have receded, exposing homes turned to rubble, overturned vehicles, and debris-filled streets. Residents began cleaning up as rescue operations continued.
In Cebu City, 58-year-old Marlon Enriquez described trying to salvage his family’s possessions amid thick mud. “This was the first time that has happened to us. I’ve been living here for almost 16 years and it was the first time I experienced flooding like this,” he said.
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In neighbouring Talisay City, 38-year-old Eilene Oken returned to find her home destroyed. “We worked and saved for this for years, then in an instant, it was all gone,” she said, adding that at least her family was safe.
Of the fatalities, six were military personnel killed when a Philippine air‐force helicopter crashed during a relief mission in Agusan del Sur on Mindanao. The disaster agency reported 75 people missing and 17 injured across the region.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated from Visayas, parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao. Homes were submerged, power outages widespread, and the inland flood damage aggravated by mud and debris.
Kalmaegi is the 20th storm to hit the Philippines this year and is forecast to strengthen as it moves over the South China Sea toward Vietnam, where authorities are preparing for landfall by Friday. China’s southern province of Hainan has already activated a maritime disaster emergency response, citing concerns of a “catastrophic wave process”.
The Philippines is among the world’s most disaster‐prone nations, enduring about 20 tropical storms annually along with frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. In September, northern Cebu was hit by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that killed dozens and displaced thousands.