At Least 140 Dead in the Philippines After Typhoon Kalmaegi Hits
Typhoon Kalmaegi has claimed at least 140 lives and left 127 people missing due to severe flooding across the central Philippines, official reports confirmed on Thursday, November 6. The storm is now moving toward Vietnam.
According to the disaster database EM-DAT, Kalmaegi is the deadliest typhoon globally in 2025. For comparison, Typhoon Trami, which struck the Philippines last year, resulted in 191 deaths and ranked as the third-deadliest typhoon of 2024.
Flood Impact in Cebu Province
Unprecedented floodwaters have ravaged towns and cities in Cebu province this week, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties, and even large shipping containers. The national civil defense office reported 114 fatalities, while Cebu provincial authorities recorded an additional 28 deaths.
Agence France-Presse reporters in Liloan, a town near Cebu City where 35 bodies have been recovered, witnessed cars stacked on top of one another by the floodwaters and roofs torn off buildings as residents struggled to clear mud and debris.
In response, the government declared a state of national calamity for Liloan, allowing release of funding for relief efforts and the imposition of price controls on essential goods.
Unusual Rainfall Levels
State weather meteorologist Benison Estareja told AFP that the rainfall during Kalmaegi was approximately 1.5 times the normal November level for Cebu, describing it as an event that occurs “once every 20 years”.
Summary: Typhoon Kalmaegi caused catastrophic flooding in the central Philippines, leaving over 140 dead and hundreds missing, with relief efforts underway amid a declared national calamity in some areas.