Philippines declares state of emergency after typhoon Kalmaegi death toll passes 100

"Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of emergency after typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 114 people dead and nearly 130 missing in central provinces in the deadliest natural disaster to hit 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."

"Marcos's state of national calamity declaration, made during a meeting with disaster-response officials to assess the typhoon's aftermath on Thursday, would allow the government to disburse emergency funds faster and prevent food hoarding and overpricing. 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."

"Among the dead attributed by officials to Kalmaegi were six people who were killed when a Philippine air force helicopter crashed in the southern province of Agusan del Sur on Tuesday. The crew was on its way to provide humanitarian help to provinces battered by the typhoon, the military said. It did not give the cause of the crash. Kalmaegi set off flash floods and caused a river and other waterways to swell in Cebu province."

Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 114 people and left nearly 130 missing, with most deaths from drowning in flash floods. The storm heavily affected central provinces, especially Cebu, where swollen rivers and waterways inundated communities and forced roof-bound residents to wait for rescue. Nearly 2 million people were affected and more than 560,000 displaced, including about 450,000 evacuated to shelters. A state of national calamity was declared to speed emergency fund disbursement and curb food hoarding and price gouging. Officials reported an air force helicopter crash that killed six crew members en route to deliver aid, and authorities warned of a possible super typhoon threat to the north.

Read at www.theguardian.com