The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines has climbed to 114, with 127 people still missing, as the storm that devastated the country’s central regions regained strength while heading toward Vietnam, officials said on Thursday.
In the hardest-hit province of Cebu, residents returned to scenes of ruin. Floodwaters that once swallowed entire streets had receded, exposing flattened homes, overturned vehicles, and debris-strewn neighbourhoods.
In Cebu City, 58-year-old Marlon Enriquez tried to salvage what was left of his family’s belongings.
“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’ve experienced flooding like this,” he said.
In nearby Talisay City, 38-year-old Eilene Oken sifted through the wreckage of her home, reduced to splintered wood and twisted metal.
“We worked and saved for this for years, then in an instant, it was all gone,” she said. Still, she expressed gratitude that her family, including her two daughters, escaped unharmed.
Across the region, more than 200,000 people had been evacuated from their homes before the storm struck on Tuesday. Many have now returned to begin the arduous cleanup.
“The challenge now is debris clearing... These need to be cleared immediately, not only to account for the missing who may be among the debris or may have reached safe areas but also to allow relief operations to move forward,” civil defence official Raffy Alejandro told DZBB radio.
Among the dead were six military personnel whose helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur on the island of Mindanao during a humanitarian mission. Another 17 people were injured, the national disaster agency said.
Kalmaegi, locally known as Tino, was the 20th storm to hit the Philippines this year, unleashing landslides, flooding, and power outages across the Visayas region and parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao.
The destruction followed a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in northern Cebu just over a month ago that killed dozens and displaced thousands.
As Kalmaegi moved over the South China Sea, it strengthened again, heading toward Vietnam. Authorities in Gia Lai province said around 350,000 people were expected to be evacuated from the area by midday Thursday amid warnings of heavy rain, flooding, and damaging winds that could disrupt key coffee-growing areas.
Vietnam’s aviation authorities said operations at eight airports, including Da Nang International Airport, could be affected.
Meanwhile, forecasters in the Philippines are tracking another storm developing east of Mindanao that could intensify into a typhoon early next week — a worrying sign for a nation still reeling from Kalmaegi’s destruction.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the stri...
The Chinese fast-fashion brand Shein made its way onto Paris racks at one of the most iconic department stores, BHV....
What began as a fight against a resort project in Albania has turned into a rallying cry against the government....
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
An impending "super" El Niño is likely to inflict a combined $10 billion to $20 billion hit on affected African countries and trigger mass migration from hard-hit areas, the African Development Bank's (AfDB) top climate expert said.
Brazil has banned the production and sale of foie gras, the French delicacy made from fattened duck or goose liver. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a law late Thursday aimed at ending force-feeding in the country's foie gras industry and stopping imports.
At least 82 people have died after heavy rain triggered devastating floods across northeastern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan this week, with widespread damage to homes, farmland and infrastructure.
Communities in Spain's northwestern Galicia region are bringing back native livestock, including the hardy Cachena breed, to help reduce the risk of devastating wildfires while restoring ecosystems.
Spanish military firefighters worked through the night into Sunday to contain the La Mierla wildfire, which continued to spread across Guadalajara province in central Spain.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment