Typhoon Kalmaegi Wreaks Havoc in the Philippines

Tue Nov 04 2025 19:16:34 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

At least three lives have been lost as Typhoon Kalmaegi unleashes devastating floods in central Philippines, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate.

Typhoon Kalmaegi has resulted in at least three deaths and displaced nearly 400,000 individuals in the central Philippines. With flooding inundating towns on Cebu Island, the disaster has been described as unprecedented. Video footage shows dramatic rescues and significant destruction, as attempts to provide relief are challenged by a crashed military helicopter on a rescue mission. As the typhoon weakens, the urgency remains for residents who have been affected.

At least three people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes as Typhoon Kalmaegi ripped through the central Philippines, according to the country's disaster agency.

The typhoon has flooded large areas, including entire towns on the island of Cebu. Videos show people sheltering on rooftops, while cars and shipping containers have been swept through the streets.

A military helicopter deployed to assist relief efforts crashed in northern Mindanao island, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said. It is not yet clear if there were survivors of the crash.

The typhoon, locally named Tino, has weakened since making landfall early on Tuesday, but has continued to bring winds of more than 80mph (130km/h). It is forecast to move across the Visayas islands region and eventually out over the South China Sea.

The situation in Cebu is really unprecedented, provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro stated on Facebook. We were expecting the winds to be dangerous, but it's the water that's truly putting our people at risk. The floodwaters are just devastating.

Don del Rosario, 28, who sought refuge on an upper floor in Cebu City, expressed, I've been here for 28 years, and this is by far the worst we've experienced. The PAF confirmed that a rescue helicopter went down near Agusan del Sur on Mindanao island after communication was lost, prompting a search and rescue operation.

Nearly 400,000 people have been evacuated from the typhoon's path, Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator at the Office of Civil Defence, told a news conference.

The Philippines typically faces around 20 storms and typhoons annually. This recent storm follows just weeks after two back-to-back typhoons resulted in over a dozen fatalities and significant damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

In late September, Super Typhoon Ragasa (known locally as Nando) struck, quickly followed by Tropical Storm Bualoi (known locally as Opong). A severe and wet monsoon season earlier this year has caused widespread flooding, leading to protests over unfinished flood control systems due to alleged corruption.

On September 30, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the central Philippines, primarily affecting Cebu and resulting in dozens of casualties.