Nov. 4 (UPI) — At least 26 people were dead after Typhoon Kalmaegi hit the Philippines on Tuesday, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes from strong winds and devastating floods.
The storm displaced more than 380,000 people in the country, as many of them were evacuated before the typhoon hit. Most of the victims drowned, though some were killed by fallen trees, landslides or electrocution, said Junie Castillo, spokesperson for the Office of Civil Defense, The New York Times reported.
The storm is known locally as Tino.
Most of the deaths happened on the island of Cebu, where entire towns flooded.
A military helicopter sent to aid relief efforts crashed in northern Mindanao island, which is south of Cebu, killing six crew members on board, the BBC reported, citing the Philippine air force said.
Emergency responders help people affected by flooding caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi, in Cebu City, Philippines, on Tuesday. Photo by Juanito Espinosa/EPA
“Communication with the helicopter was lost, which immediately prompted the launch of a search-and-rescue operation,” the air force said.
The typhoon made landfall early Tuesday and weakened, though winds reached around 80 mph. It’s forecast to cross the Visayas islands and then move to the South China Sea by Wednesday, BBC reported.
“We were marooned inside our house and rushed to the second floor,” Monique Haeyn Rosario, 28, who lives near the Butuanon River in Cebu City, said in a telephone interview with the BBC.
She said the river’s level started rising around 5 a.m. Tuesday. Floodwaters outside her house rose to about 10 feet, she said.
“The authorities have reached us and are rushing aid, but I am appealing for food, and, most importantly, water and dry clothes and medicines.”
Don del Rosario, 28, was in Cebu City and sought safety on an upper floor.
“I’ve been here for 28 years, and this is by far the worst we’ve experienced,” the BBC reported he said.
The government said it had distributed about $100,000 worth of aid. The Coast Guard and military were working to evacuate people and clear debris, The Times reported.
The Philippines gets hit by about 20 storms and typhoons each year.
