Philippines reels after Typhoon Kalmaegi kills 85, dozens still missing

Cebu [Philippines], November 6 (ANI): People in central Philippines have started clearing thick mud and debris from their homes and streets after Typhoon Kalmaegi tore through the region, killing at least 85 people and leaving dozens missing, CNN reported, citing local broadcasts.

In Cebu province, one of the worst-hit areas and a popular tourist destination, floodwaters have begun to recede, revealing the full scale of destruction. Homes were flattened, vehicles overturned, and streets filled with wreckage.

In Cebu City, 58-year-old Marlon Enriquez tried to save whatever he could from his home, now coated in layers of mud. "This has never happened before. I've lived here for 16 years, and it's the first time I've seen flooding like this," he said, CNN quoted.

But for many, there was nothing left to return to. In nearby Talisay, 38-year-old Eilene Oken found her house destroyed. "We worked and saved for years, and in an instant, everything was gone," she said. Oken, however, said she was grateful that her family, including her two daughters, survived.

Among the dead were six military personnel whose helicopter crashed during a relief mission in Agusan del Sur, on the island of Mindanao. The national disaster agency said at least 75 people remain missing and 17 are injured.

The storm, locally named Tino, also caused widespread flooding and power cuts, forcing more than 200,000 people to evacuate across the Visayas region, as well as parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao.

Kalmaegi struck just a month after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake killed dozens in northern Cebu and displaced thousands.

Meteorologists say Kalmaegi, the 20th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, is expected to strengthen as it moves across the South China Sea towards Vietnam, where authorities have already started preparing for landfall on Friday, CNN reported. (ANI)

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