Philippines Declares State of Emergency After Typhoon Kalmaegi Causes Massive Casualties

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines declared a state of emergency on Thursday following the devastation caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi. The natural disaster claimed at least 114 lives and left hundreds missing, marking it as the deadliest event of its kind in the country this year. According to Emirates News Agency, the fatalities were predominantly due to drowning in flash floods, with 127 people still unaccounted for, particularly in Cebu, a severely affected central province. The typhoon exited the Philippines on Wednesday, making its way into the South China Sea. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, Deputy Administrator of the Office of Civil Defence, reported that the majority of the casualties were in Cebu province. The area experienced severe flash floods when rivers and waterways overflowed as Kalmaegi made landfall on Tuesday. The typhoon moved past western Palawan by late Wednesday morning, continuing its path toward the South China Sea with Vietnam as its next destination, as state d by weather authorities. The onslaught of Typhoon Kalmaegi impacted almost 2 million people and displaced more than 560,000 individuals. Among those displaced, nearly 450,000 were moved to emergency shelters, according to the Office of Civil Defence.