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Just before noon, a tragic event unfolded approximately 270 kilometers from the island of Cebu, marking the most severely affected area. Local officials reported that 39 individuals perished, either by drowning or due to falling debris. Additionally, a fatality was recorded on the nearby island of Bohol.
In the wake of the disaster, images and footage shared by the Philippine Red Cross captured the grim reality in Cebu City. Rescue teams navigated through knee-deep floodwaters, employing boats to reach residents stranded by the inundation.
Even though Tropical Storm Kalmaegi, known locally as Tino, began to weaken after making landfall earlier on Tuesday, it continued to wreak havoc. The storm pummeled the region with intense winds reaching up to 120 km/h and gusts of 165 km/h as it moved across the Visayas islands, aiming for northern Palawan and the South China Sea.
By late Tuesday, the floodwaters in Cebu City started to recede. However, many areas remained without power, and telecommunications services were sporadic, according to a Reuters journalist on the scene.
Floods in Cebu City had subsided late on Tuesday, but power was still out in many places and telecommunications services were intermittent, a Reuters journalist said.
‘The waters kept rising’
The typhoon was expected to leave the Philippines late on Wednesday or early Thursday.
State weather agency PAGASA had earlier warned of a high risk of “life-threatening and damaging storm surges” that could reach more than 3 metres high on coastal and low-lying communities in the central Philippines.
