CEBU (Philippines): The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the central Philippines climbed past 100 yesterday as the devastating impact on Cebu province became clearer after the worst flooding in recent memory.
Floodwaters described as unprecedented had rushed through the province’s towns and cities a day earlier, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and even massive shipping containers.
Cebu spokesman Rhon Ramos told AFP that 35 bodies had been recovered from flooded areas of Liloan, a town that is part of provincial capital Cebu City’s metro area. The grim news brought the toll for Cebu to 76.
On neighbouring Negros Island, at least 12 people were dead and 12 more were missing after Kalmaegi’s driving rain loosened volcanic mudflow which then buried homes in Canlaon City, police Lieutenant Stephen Polinar said.
“Eruptions of Kanlaon volcano since last year deposited volcanic material on its upper sections. When the rain fell, those deposits rumbled down onto the villages,” he told AFP.
Only one Negros death had been included in an earlier government tally of 17 deaths outside Cebu.
That figure included six crewmembers of a military helicopter that crashed while on a typhoon relief mission.
In the 24 hours before Kalmaegi’s landfall, the area around Cebu City was deluged with 183 millimetres of rain, well over its 131-millimetre monthly average, weather specialist Charmagne Varilla told AFP.
Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful due to human-driven climate change. Warmer oceans allow typhoons to strengthen rapidly, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning heavier rainfall.
In total, nearly 400,000 people were pre-emptively moved from the typhoon’s path.
The Philippine military confirmed on Tuesday that a helicopter, one of four deployed to assist typhoon relief efforts, had crashed on northern Mindanao island.
The Super Huey helicopter went down while en route to the coastal city of Butuan “in support of relief operations” related to the powerful storm, Eastern Mindanao Command said in a statement, adding search and recovery operations were underway.
Hours later, air force spokeswoman Colonel Maria Christina Basco said the remains of six people had been recovered by troops.
As of yesterday at 8am, Typhoon Kalmaegi was moving westwards towards the tourist hotspots of Palawan, with winds of 120 kilometres per hour and gusts of 165 kph.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, routinely striking disaster-prone areas where millions live in poverty.
With Kalmaegi, the archipelagic country has already reached that average, weather specialist Varilla told AFP, adding at least “three to five more” storms could be expected by December’s end.
The Philippines was hit by two major storms in September, including Super Typhoon Ragasa, which tore the roofs off buildings on its way to killing 14 people in nearby Taiwan. – AFP
