Vietnam braces for Typhoon Kalmaegi after devastating storm kills 114 in Philippines
Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr declares state of emergency after Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves at least 241 people dead and missing
The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Kalmaegi rose to 114 with another 127 people still missing as the storm headed towards Vietnam, the disaster agency said on Thursday.
In Vietnam's Gia Lai province, some 350,000 people were expected to have been evacuated by the middle of the day as authorities warned of heavy rains and damaging winds that could cause flooding in low-lying areas and disrupt agricultural activity.
Vietnam's aviation authorities said operations at eight airports, including the international airport in Da Nang, are likely to be affected. Airlines and local authorities have been urged to closely monitor the storm's progress to ensure passenger safety.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr declared a state of emergency on Thursday. Mr Marcos’s emergency declaration, made during a meeting with disaster-response officials to assess the typhoon’s aftermath, would allow the government to disburse emergency funds faster and prevent food hoarding and overpricing.
In the Philippines' hardest-hit province of Cebu, the scale of the destruction became clearer as floodwaters receded to reveal flattened homes, overturned vehicles and streets choked with debris.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated in the Philippines ahead of Kalmaegi hitting on Tuesday. Some have returned to find their homes destroyed, while others have begun the arduous cleanup, scraping mud from their houses and streets.
"The challenge now is debris clearing... These need to be cleared immediately, not only to account for the missing who may be among the debris or may have reached safe areas but also to allow relief operations to move forward," Raffy Alejandro, a senior civil defence official, told DZBB radio.
Kalmaegi, locally known as Tino, intensified as it blew away from western Palawan province into the South China Sea with sustained winds of up to 140kmph and gusts of up to 187kmph, the weather agency said. It is the 20th storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Authorities had warned of torrential rains, potentially destructive winds and storm surges of up to 10ft.
Filipino authorities declared a state of calamity in the province of Cebu to allow authorities to disburse emergency funds more rapidly to deal with the latest natural disaster.
Even as Typhoon Kalmaegi exited the Philippine monitoring zone, weather forecasters were tracking a brewing storm east of Mindanao that could strengthen into a typhoon, raising concerns for potential impacts early next week. The devastation from Kalmaegi, the 20th storm to hit the Philippines this year, comes just over a month after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Cebu, killing dozens and displacing thousands.
As Kalmaegi moved over the South China Sea ahead of its landfall in Vietnam, it was regaining strength. It is forecast to impact several central provinces, including key coffee-growing areas, where the harvest season is currently underway. Authorities were mobilising thousands of soldiers to assist with potential evacuations, rescue operations, and recovery efforts.
Hundreds of northern Cebu residents who were displaced by the earthquake were moved to sturdier evacuation shelters from flimsy tents before the typhoon struck, disaster response officials said.
"We did everything we can for the typhoon but, you know, there are really some unexpected things like flash floods," Cebu governor Pamela Baricuatro told The Associated Press.
Inter-island ferries and fishing boats were prohibited from venturing out to increasingly rough seas, stranding more than 3,500 passengers and cargo truck drivers in nearly 100 seaports, the coast guard said. At least 186 domestic flights were cancelled.
At least six people died when a Philippine air force helicopter crashed in the southern province of Agusan del Sur on Tuesday while en route to help provinces affected by the typhoon. The air force confirmed that the remains of six personnel have been recovered from the site of the crash.
The Super Huey chopper was one of four dispatched to assess the impact of the typhoon as part of a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response mission.
Central Vietnam, still reeling from days of record rain that triggered flash floods and killed at least 40 people, was bracing for more pounding rain as Kalmaegi nears. The typhoon is estimated to reach Vietnam's coast on Friday morning.
"It's exhausting," said Tran Thi Ky from the city of Hoi An. "We are tired of flooding, but what can we do," the 57-year-old told AFP, after her home was flooded three times in less than 10 days. "We brought all our furniture to high ground but they are all wet anyway."
Thailand's weather agency has issued an advisory for the northern, eastern and central parts of the country, with the typhoon expected to bring "heavy to very heavy rain" towards the end of the week.
Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed all provincial governors and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to closely monitor the typhoon and ordered all local authorities to speed up flood water drainage.
Governors of all 76 provinces have been tasked with ensuring that flood-prone areas, especially in Bangkok, are prepared for heavy rain and the possibility of flooding.
(With additional inputs from agencies)