Nov. 6 (UPI) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines declared a state of national calamity on Thursday, as the Asian nation continues to reel from the devastation caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi.
The typhoon, called Tino in the Philippines, first hit the archipelago on Tuesday, and was moving past the Kalayann Islands toward Vietnam on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in a statement.
It also comes as a second typhoon, named Uwan in the Philippines, was forecast to hit Luzon in the next few days. It is expected to intensify into a super typhoon with winds in excess of 150 mph before it hits.
According to the president, between 10 and 12 regions were expected to be affected by both typhoons.
“That gives us quicker access to some of the emergency funds,” Marcos said, adding it also cuts through bureaucratic procedures to “immediately provide assistance to the victims.”
The death toll from Kalmaegi continued to climb on Thursday.
The Office of Civil Defense confirmed 114 killed, with another 127 people missing, the Philippine Army relayed in a statement on social media.
“Army rescuers continue to race against time to save missing individuals in the aftermath of Typhoon ‘Tino’ in Cebu,” the army said Thursday.
The typhoon is the 20th cyclone of the year and the deadliest so far.
Local outlet Rappler reported the storm made landfall eight times as it crossed northwest over the archipelago before leaving the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday.
