Typhoon Kalmaegi kills at least four, triggers widespread flooding in Philippines

The death toll has risen to at least four in the Philippines from Typhoon Kalmaegi, officials confirmed.

The floodwaters have trapped hundreds of residents on rooftops and caused severe disruptions in the rescue operations.

The storm named, Tino locally, caused devastating floods across the central Visayas region, especially affecting Cebu province where three fatalities were reported.

In the neighbouring province of Bohol, one person was reported dead by a falling tree, while another was reported drowning in Southern Leyte as per unofficial sources.

Governor of Cebu, Pamela Baricuatro, stated in a statement, “We were expecting the winds to be the dangerous part, but... the water is what's truly putting our people at risk.”

Another serious incident took place when a Philippine Air Force Super Huey helicopter carrying five personnel crashed near Loreto town in Agusan del Sur while enroute to assist rescue operations.

Military officials confirmed communication was lost with aircraft and search operations are underway stating, “Communication with the helicopter was lost, which immediately prompted the launch of a search and rescue operation.

In the context of the ongoing crisis, Philippines Red Cross Secretary-General Gwendolyn Pang noted, “We have received so many calls from people asking us to rescue them from roofs, but it's impossible. There are so many debris, you see cars floating.”

Experts report that the intensity of the Typhoon has weakened but continues to pack sustained winds of 130 kph and gusts up to 180 kph.

More than 387,000 people were evacuated to safer places across affected regions, while 186 domestic flights were cancelled and various sea ports suspended operations.

After the Philippines, typhoon Kamlegi now approaches Vietnam, where authorities are preparing for its expected landfall on Thursday, November 6, 2025.

On average, the Philippines are hit by 20 storms, grappling the region with multiple disasters including September’s Super Typhoon Ragasa and a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu in late September.