The typhoon’s onslaught, which affected nearly 2 million people, displaced more than 560,000 villagers, including nearly 450,000 who were evacuated to emergency shelters.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursday declared a state of emergency after Typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 114 people dead and hundreds missing across central provinces, marking the deadliest natural disaster to strike the country this year.
The deaths were mostly from drowning in flash floods, and 127 people were still missing, many in the hard-hit central province of Cebu. The tropical cyclone blew out of the archipelago on Wednesday into the South China Sea.
Nearly 2 million people affectedย
The typhoon, which affected nearly 2 million people, also displaced more than 560,000 villagers, including around 450,000 who were moved to emergency shelters.
Marcos announced the emergency declaration during a meeting with disaster-response officials to assess the situation. The order will enable the faster release of emergency funds and measures to prevent food hoarding and overpricing in affected areas.
While still dealing with the deadly and disastrous impact of Kalmaegi in the country’s central region, disaster-response officials warned that another tropical cyclone from the Pacific could strengthen into a super typhoon and batter the northern Philippines early next week.
At least 71 people died in Cebu, mostly due to drownings, while 65 others were reported missing and 69 injured, the Office of Civil Defense said. It added that 62 others were reported missing in the central province of Negros Occidental, which is located near Cebu.
Cebu was still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 30 that left at least 79 people dead and displaced thousands when houses collapsed or were severely damaged.
(With AP inputs)
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