Typhoon Kalmaigi left 85 people dead, most of them in a Philippine province still recovering from the deadly earthquake

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Typhoon Kalmiji left at least 85 people dead and 75 others missing in the central Philippines, many in widespread flooding that trapped people on their roofs and swept away cars in a hard-hit province still recovering from a deadly earthquake, officials said Wednesday.

The dead include six people killed when a Philippine Air Force helicopter crashed in the southern province of Agusan del Sur on Tuesday. The army said that the crew was on its way to provide humanitarian assistance to the provinces hit by Cyclone Kalmaiji. She did not mention the cause of the accident.

Read more: At least 26 people killed after Typhoon Kalmaiji hits the Philippines

Kalmaigi blew away from the western province of Palawan in the South China Sea before noon Wednesday with winds of up to 130 kilometers per hour (81 mph) and gusts of up to 180 kilometers per hour (112 mph), according to meteorologists.

The central province was the most affected by the storm

Several deaths were reported in the central province of Cebu, which was hit by Typhoon Kalmaeji on Tuesday, triggering flash floods and causing a river and other waterways to overflow, said Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy director of the Office of Civil Defense, and regional officials.

The resulting floods swept through residential communities, forcing distraught residents to climb onto the roofs of their homes, where they desperately pleaded to be rescued as floodwaters rose, officials said.

The Philippine Red Cross has received many calls from people needing rescue in Cebu from their rooftops, Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang said on Tuesday.

The Civil Defense Office said at least 49 people drowned in the floods and others died as a result of landslides and falling debris in Cebu, where 13 people were reported missing.

She added that 62 others were reported missing in the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, located near Cebu in the center of the country.

“We did everything we could to confront the typhoon, but, as you know, there are already some unexpected things like flash floods,” Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro told The Associated Press by phone.

Massive flooding from the typhoon turned an upscale riverside residential community in Cebu City on Tuesday into an unrecognizable sight of collapsed SUVs and homes in disarray, said Caloy Ramirez, a volunteer rescuer.

Residents said that floodwaters submerged the first floors of their homes in a few minutes, prompting them to flee to the upper floors or roofs in a state of panic.

“We always expect the worst and what I saw yesterday was the worst,” Ramirez told the Associated Press. He described how the faces of desperate residents would light up when they realized they had been saved.

Concerns are growing about flood control projects

Baricuatro said the problems may have been exacerbated by years of clogged quarrying and overflowing nearby rivers, and substandard flood control projects in Cebu province.

A corruption scandal involving substandard or non-existent flood control projects across the Philippines has sparked public outrage and street protests in recent months.

Cebu, a bustling province with a population of more than 2.4 million, declared a state of disaster to allow authorities to distribute emergency funds more quickly.

Cebu was still recovering from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake on September 30, which killed at least 79 people and displaced thousands when homes collapsed or were severely damaged.

Thousands of northern Cebu residents displaced by the quake were moved to sturdier evacuation shelters than flimsy tents before the typhoon struck, Baricuatro said. She added that the northern cities that were devastated by the earthquake were mostly unaffected by the floods caused by Cyclone Kalmeji.

Kalmaeji heads towards Vietnam and Thailand

Before Typhoon Kalmaiji made landfall, officials said more than 387,000 people had been evacuated to safer areas in the eastern and central provinces of the Philippines.

Ferries and fishing boats have been prevented from venturing into increasingly rough seas, leaving more than 3,500 passengers and cargo truck drivers stranded at about 100 seaports, the Coast Guard said. At least 186 domestic flights were cancelled.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 typhoons and storms every year. The country is also frequently hit by earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.

Central Vietnam, still suffering from days of record rains that caused floods and landslides, is bracing for more heavy rains as Typhoon Kalmyji approaches.

State media reported that fishing boats returned to shore while local authorities prepared evacuation plans, secured shelters and stored food supplies. Meteorologists estimate that the storm will reach the coast of Vietnam on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the Thai Meteorological Agency issued a warning for the northern, eastern and central parts of the country, warning that Kalmaiji will bring heavy rain on Friday and into the weekend that could cause flash floods, landslides and overflowing rivers.

Associated Press journalists Anirudh Ghosal in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Shalida Ekvitthayavishengul in Bangkok contributed to this report.

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